Lee Stuart is a Native American Indian from the “Sappony”
tribe in the North Carolina/Virginia area. He is a retired military officer with
30+ years of service. Drafted in 1967, he served in Vietnam and retired in June
of 2002. He was an Airborne, Infantry, Ranger, Pathfinder, Master Scuba Diver,
and Special Operations Aviator. During his career he was shot twice, grenaded
once, accidentally bombed once and missed by the largest suicide bombers in
Iraq, as a contractor, on 1 February 2004 when 114 people were killed, and 454
persons were wounded. “I survived all of those ordeals because of the strong
prayers of my mother and grandmother.” He is now actively involved with the
Army Aviation Heritage Foundation in Hampton Georgia. For more information, see their website,
http://www.armyav.org.
1. How and/or when did you get you hooked on history?
I never really took an interest in studying history when I was in high
school because everything seemed so far away, irrelevant and not part of my
little personal Jonesboro Georgia world. When I got drafted in 1967 and knew I
was going to Vietnam, so I began studying the history of Vietnam. From then on
I started intensely studying the different countries I would be stationed in.
2. What role
does history play or has it played in your personal life?
As a young Native American who was not raised
on a Indian Reservation/Community like some of my other family members I was
taught a different, (Non-Native American Indian), perspective/version of the
United States and the History of Native Americans. Whenever I would return to
visit my own tribe I started hearing different stories of our Tribal History
than what was not printed and taught in the Non-Native American schools I
attended. Since my generation knew that the various historical facts that were
being presented about our tribe did not seem to jive with what we personally
knew we applied for a grant to study and trace our tribal history to correct
what was being published and taught/not taught in our schools.
3. How
is/How was history a part of your professional life/career?
I learned very early on in my military career
how important it was to understand the history of the region, country, culture
and the people that I would be working with. This it made our abilities to
accomplish our mission much easier.
4. Why is
studying/knowing history important?
In
my own personal career it was very critical to know everything we could about
the history, culture, beliefs, values and mindset of those we interacted with.
It was also important that we knew our U.S. History as well because many of the
other countries have a different historical perspective/version of the United
States of America. Being able to ensure they had a better understanding of our
own history was critical to interacting with them.
In my own Tribe,
(Sappony), it was very crucial for us to get the Truth and Real Facts about our
own history in order to be recognized by the Federal and State Governments. Our
history got very distorted over the years because nothing was written down or
recorded so it has been a very intense tasking to research and recover the True
History of our Tribe.
5. What is
your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?
No matter
where I was assigned or stationed I found it very interesting to immerse myself
into that’s country’s culture where I learned a much better historical
perspective than what was taught to me in the schools. I was known as the
officer who would “Go Native” no matter where I was stationed which helped me
have a much better understanding of what makes that country/culture tick. Which
in turn it helped earn the respect of the people of that country because we
understood their history.
My most favorite period or aspect of history is studying my
own Tribal History. I have learned a lot about my Tribe through the use of new
technology that was not available to my parents and elders back in their days.
6. What is
the mission of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and how did it start?
The Army Aviation Heritage Foundation (AAHF)
is a national, one-of-a-kind non-profit all-volunteer organization composed of
Veterans, their families, and civilian supporters. The AAHF is acting to connect the American
soldier to the American public as an active, accepted, and admired member of
the American family by presenting the story of Army Aviation and the American
soldier. The AAHF is providing America
an opportunity to hear its Veterans share their stories and see its military
legacy in flight and in action.
7. Why is it
important to preserve this part of history?
AAHF offers a unique one-of-a-kind
opportunity to actually experience the feelings, sights, sounds and smell of
what it was like to fly in vintage Army combat aircraft. Going to a museum or
looking at an aircraft on top of a static pole cannot begin to compare with the
experiential emotional feelings that one encounters flying in these unique
aircraft. It almost defies description.
“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat
it.” George Santayana
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