**U.S. DEPARTMENT OF**

**VETERANS AFFAIRS**

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**American Indian and**

**Alaska Native Veterans:**

**Lasting Contributions**

Lindsay F. Holiday, Gabriel Bell,

Robert E. Klein and Michael R. Wells

Office of Policy

Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and Preparedness

September 2006

**American Indian and**

**Alaska Native Veterans:**

**Lasting Contributions**

Lindsay F. Holiday, Gabriel Bell,

Robert E. Klein and Michael R. Wells

Office of Policy

Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and Preparedness

Department of Veterans Affairs

**Introduction**

In November 2001, President George W. Bush proclaimed National American
Indian Heritage Month by celebrating the role of the indigenous peoples
of North America in shaping our Nation's history and culture. He said:
"American Indian and Alaska Native cultures have made remarkable
contributions to our national identity. Their unique spiritual,
artistic, and literary contributions, together with their vibrant
customs and celebrations, enliven and enrich our land."

An important part of the overall contribution of American Indian and
Alaska Native (AIAN) peoples to our Nation is the vital part played by
American Indian men and women in protecting and preserving our freedoms.
Their contributions to our armed forces have been made throughout our
history, from the Revolution to the war against terror. The courage,
spirit, and warrior tradition of American Indians have long been
recognized as contributing to the individual qualities which
distinguished American Indians in the military. During early wars, for
example, the scouting and tracking abilities of American Indians, among
many other skills, were particularly useful in battle. Later years saw
American Indians more highly integrated into the military and playing
expanded roles.

**American Indians in the U.S. Military: Historical Highlights**

Some [highlights]{.underline} of the experience of American Indians in
our Nation's military follow:[^1]

[Early Wars (before WW I]{.underline}):

-   During the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War
    (both for the Union and Confederacy), scouting skills of American
    Indian soldiers were exploited.

-   Tyonajanegen, an Oneida Indian, distinguished herself at the battle
    of Oriskany during the American Revolution, fighting along side her
    husband of Dutch descent.

-   Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman, guided Lewis and Clark on their
    expedition west.

-   In 1866, the Indian Scouts were established by the U.S. Army; one
    year later, 474 Indians served. The Scouts accompanied Gen. Pershing
    to Mexico in pursuit of Poncho Villa in 1916. The Indian Scouts were
    an integral part of the Army until 1947.

-   American Indian soldiers accompanied Teddy Roosevelt to Cuba as
    Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War.

-   Four American Indian nuns worked as nurses for the War Department in
    Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

-   In the early war period, 16 American Indians were awarded the
    military's highest honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

    [World War I]{.underline}:

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-   About 12,000 American Indians served during WW I.

-   About 600 Oklahoma Choctaw and Cherokee men served in the Texas
    124^th^ Infantry, which saw action in France, and were recognized
    widely for their combat skills and bravery.

-   Fourteen American Indian women served in the Army Nurse Corps.

-   The Choctaw language was used to code messages to confuse German
    code-breakers.

-   Four American Indians were awarded the *Croix de Guerre*, France's
    highest military honor, for their valor.

-   In 1919, American Indian soldiers and sailors were granted U.S.
    citizenship, five years before the Snyder Indian Citizenship Act
    granted citizenship to all American Indians.

    [World War II]{.underline}:

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-   More than 44,000 American Indians served in the military from 1941
    to 1945, including 800 women.

-   An estimated 99 percent of healthy male American Indians ages 21 to
    44 were registered for the draft.

-   Nearly 20 percent of the American Indian population, both men and
    women, were either in the armed forces or working for the war effort
    on the home front.

-   Six American Indians earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for
    service during WW II.

-   Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona, was one of six marines to
    raise the flag on Mt. Suribachi in Iwo Jima.

-   The Navajo language was used to code messages in the Pacific theater
    of operations. Over 400 Navajo "Code Talkers" served in the Marine
    Corps by war's end.

    [Korean War]{.underline}:

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-   More than 10,000 American Indians served during the Korean War.

-   Three American Indians were awarded the Congressional Medal of
    Honor.

-   Among notable American Indians serving during the Korean War were
    former Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Vice Admiral
    Joseph "Jocko" Clark, a Cherokee, who was commander of the Navy's
    7^th^ fleet during the war.

    [Vietnam War]{.underline}:

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-   More than 42,000 American Indians served in the Armed Forces between
    1965 and 1975.

-   The Senator Matsunaga Project, as mandated in Public Law 101-507,
    studied Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among American Indian
    Vietnam veterans. The study found relatively high levels of exposure
    to combat, stress and PTSD among them.

    [Post-Vietnam Era]{.underline}:

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-   During the Gulf War[^2], more than 3,000 American Indians served in
    the Gulf region.

-   Several American Indians lost their lives in the Gulf War, including
    Lori Piestewa, a Hopi Indian from Arizona, who died in the ambush in
    which Jessica Lynch and her compatriots were captured. Squaw Peak in
    Arizona was officially re-named Piestewa Peak in her honor.

-   As of 1980, at least 60 women served as Eskimo Scouts in the Alaska
    National Guard, patrolling the western Alaska coastline. The Scouts,
    organized during WW II, represent the only unit of the Alaska Guard
    to have a continuous active duty mission.

    **American Indians in the Current Active Duty Military**

The latest data from the Department of Defense (July 2005) show that
more than 24,000 among 1.4 million active duty military are American
Indians,[^3] including nearly 3,900 women. American Indians represent
roughly two percent of the active duty force. By branch, the
distribution of American Indians differs from the distribution of the
overall active duty military, as Figure 1 below shows:

-   Among American Indians in the active duty military, nearly one-half
    are in the Navy, compared to one-quarter of all active duty members.

-   American Indians are also "over-represented" in the Marines (20
    percent v. 13 percent of all active duty) and "under-represented" in
    the Army (19 percent v. 34 percent) and Air Force (12 percent v. 25
    percent).

-   It is estimated that American Indians males in the active duty
    military represent more than 3 percent of all American Indian males
    20 to 44 years old. It is estimated that among all males 20 to 44, 2
    percent are in the active duty military. This continues a trend
    which indicates that American Indian males serve in greater
    proportion than eligible males in general.

    Figure 1

The long tradition of American Indians comprising an integral part of
our Nation's military is reflected in our veteran population.

**American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans: Data from Census 2000**

The 2000 Decennial Census collected extensive and unprecedented data on
the race composition of the U.S. population and groups within the
population, including veterans. For the first time, census respondents
could select more than one race with which they identify, including
American Indian and Alaska Natives. The decennial census, therefore,
provides information on veterans who identify themselves solely as AIAN
or AIAN in combination with another race or races. [AIAN in this section
refers to those who are solely AIAN]{.underline}[^4] [or AIAN in
combination, such as in Table 1 below]{.underline}.

**Table 1. AIAN\* Veterans by Age and Sex**

[Male]{.underline} [Female]{.underline} [Total]{.underline}

[Age]{.underline} [Number]{.underline} [Percent]{.underline}
[Number]{.underline} [Percent]{.underline} [Number]{.underline}
[Percent]{.underline}

\< 65 277,186 80.0% 33,273 91.1% 310,459 81.0%

[65+]{.underline} [69,437]{.underline} [20.0%]{.underline}
[3,232]{.underline} [8.9%]{.underline} [72,669]{.underline}
[19.0%]{.underline}

Total 346,623 100.0% 36,505 100.0% 383,128 100.0%

**Source: Census 2000\***

**Alone or in combination with other race(s).**

[Number by Age]{.underline}

-   More than 383,000 veterans identified themselves as AIAN,
    representing 1.5 percent of the more than 26 million veterans.

-   Among AIAN veterans, nearly 73,000 were 65 or older, representing 19
    percent of all AIAN veterans. Among veterans of all races, 37
    percent were 65 or older (data not shown). Therefore, in the
    aggregate, AIAN veterans are younger than veterans in general,
    reflecting in part, the increasing proportion of AIAN in the
    military in recent years.

    [Number by Sex]{.underline}

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-   More than 36,000 female veterans were AIAN, representing nearly 10
    percent of all AIAN veterans, 4 percentage points more than the 6
    percent of women among veterans in general.

-   Only 9 percent of female AIAN veterans are 65 or older compared to
    20 percent of their male counterparts.

    [Period of Service]{.underline}

> The difference between AIAN veterans and all veterans with respect to
> period of service reflects, among other things, age differences
> between them.

**Table 2. AIAN\* Veterans and All Veterans**

**By Period of Service (POS)**

**(In Thousands)**

AIAN All

[POS]{.underline} [Veterans\*\*]{.underline} [Percent\*\*\*]{.underline}
[Veterans]{.underline} [Percent]{.underline}

Gulf War 63.5 16.6% 3,024.5 11.5%

Vietnam Era 146.9 38.3 8,380.4 31.7

Korean Conflict 39.1 10.2 4,035.2 15.3

World War II 37.3 9.7 5,716.6 21.7

Peacetime only 111.3 29.1 6,314.4 23.9

Other 2.3 0.6 241.4 0.9

**\* AIAN alone or in combination with other race(s).**

**\*\* Numbers add to more than the total because veterans who served in
more than one war period are counted in all war periods in which they
served.**

**\*\*\* Percents add to more than 100 because of the multiple counting,
as stated in the second note.**

**SOURCE: Census 2000.**

-   Compared to veterans in general, a higher proportion of AIAN
    veterans served in later periods---the Gulf War and peacetime (i.e.,
    between the Vietnam Era and the Gulf War---data not shown), and the
    Vietnam Era.

-   Compared to veterans in general, a smaller proportion of AIAN
    veterans served in earlier periods, such as Korea and WW II.

    **The Geographic Distribution of AIAN Veterans**

The AIAN veteran population is concentrated in various parts of the
country, as are older AIAN veterans (Maps 1, 2, and Appendix Table 1)
and the AIAN population in general.

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In the year 2000:

AIAN veterans of all ages

By state\--

-   The five largest states with respect to the number (rounded to
    nearest 10) of AIAN veterans were: California (52,620), Oklahoma
    (31,250), Texas (24,400), Florida (17,730) and Arizona (16,810).
    Only California, Texas, and Florida are in the group of 5 largest
    states with respect to the number of all veterans.

-   The five largest states represented 37 percent of the AIAN veteran
    population of 383,130.

By region[^5]\--

-   The West and South, with 37 percent and 36 percent of the AIAN
    veteran population respectively (see Appendix Table 1), accounted
    for nearly three-quarters of all AIAN veterans. The Northeast
    contained only 9 percent of AIAN veterans. In contrast, 18 percent
    of all veterans lived in the Northeast and 22 percent in the West.

-   In rank order, from highest to lowest, AIAN veterans lived in the
    West, South, Midwest, and Northeast\--all veterans in the South,
    Midwest, West, and Northeast.

    AIAN veterans 65 or older

By state---

-   The five largest states with respect to the number (rounded to
    nearest 10) of older AIAN veterans were the same as those for all
    AIAN veterans: California (10,700), Oklahoma (7,990), Texas (4,480),
    Arizona (3,350), and Florida (3,310), with Arizona having more older
    AIAN veterans than Florida, which is not the case for AIAN veterans
    in general. Only California, Texas, and Florida are in the group of
    5 largest states with respect to the number of all older veterans.

-   The five largest states represented 41 percent of the 72,670 older
    AIAN veterans.

-   The five smallest states for older AIAN veterans were: New Hampshire
    (190), Rhode Island (160), DC (150), Delaware (130), and Vermont
    (90). Only DC and Vermont are in the smallest group with respect to
    the number of all older veterans.

    [Number by Census Region]{.underline}:

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-   The West and South, with 37 percent and 36 percent of the older AIAN
    veteran population respectively (see Appendix Table 1), accounted
    for nearly three-quarters of older AIAN veterans, roughly the same
    as that for all AIAN veterans. The Northeast contained only 10
    percent of older AIAN veterans. In contrast, 20 percent of all older
    veterans lived in the Northeast and 21 percent in the West.

-   In rank order, from highest to lowest, older AIAN veterans lived in
    the West, South, Midwest, and Northeast\--all older veterans in the
    South, Midwest, with the West, and Northeast having virtually equal
    proportions (a fraction percentage point over 20 percent).

    **Current and Future AIAN Veteran Population**

Table 3 below shows the estimated and projected AIAN veteran population.

Although the universe for the estimates and projections is not strictly
comparable to that of the 2000 Census data in that the former is limited
to AIAN non-Hispanics who identify themselves only as AIAN[^6], the data
are greatly informative.

**Table 3. Estimated and Projected**

**AIAN Veteran Population\* by Age \-- 2005-2020**

**[AIAN Veterans]{.underline}**

**[Year]{.underline} [\< 65]{.underline} [65+]{.underline}
[Total]{.underline} [% 65+\*\*]{.underline}**

**2005 141,000 40,300 181,300 22.2%**

**2010 132,100 46,800 178,900 26.1**

**2020 103,500 64,400 167,900 38.4**

**[All Veterans]{.underline}**

**2005 15,039,000 9,348,000 24,387,000 38.3%**

**2010 13,228,800 8,919,500 22,148,300 40.3**

**2020 9,753,000 8,367,500 18,120,500 46.2**

\* Limited to Non-Hispanic AIAN alone veterans.

\*\*Numbers rounded to nearest 100; percents based on un-rounded
numbers.

Source: VetPop2004 Version 1.0, Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Office of the
Actuary, Dec. 2004.

[Projected Decline in the AIAN Veteran Population]{.underline}

-   The estimated AIAN veteran population as of September 30, 2005 was
    181,300.

-   By 2010, the number is projected to decline by less than 3,000.

-   By 2020, however, the number is projected to be nearly 168,000, a
    decline of 7 percent from 2005. This is in sharp contrast to the
    projected decline of 26 percent of the overall veteran population in
    that period.

-   The relatively slower rate of decline in the number of AIAN veterans
    can be explained, in part, by increasing proportions of AIAN in the
    armed forces and the relatively younger age distribution of AIAN
    veterans compared to veterans in general.

    [Projected AIAN Veteran Population 65 or Older]{.underline}

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-   In contrast to the older veteran population in general, the
    population of older AIAN veterans is projected to increase between
    2005 and 2020, from 40,300 to 64,400, an increase of nearly 60
    percent. The number of older veterans in general is projected to
    decline by one-tenth in that period.

-   Among both veterans in general and AIAN veterans, the proportion of
    older veterans is projected to increase. The proportion is smaller,
    however, for AIAN veterans than veterans in general. In 2010, for
    example, about one-quarter of AIAN veterans are projected to be 65
    or older compared to 40 percent of veterans in general. The
    difference indicates AIAN veterans are younger than veterans in
    general in part because of their increasing proportions in recent
    years in the armed forces.

    **Socioeconomic Status of AIAN Veterans**

Such measures as educational attainment, income, home ownership and
employment are all indicators of social and economic well-being. They
are not the only measures of well-being; alone or in combination they do
not capture completely how well off, economically and otherwise, someone
is. They are perhaps only partial dimensions of quality of life. They
are, nevertheless, telling measures which are important to present, as
done in table 4 below:

**Table 4. Percentage of AIAN\* Veterans and Veterans of All Races by
Select**

**Measures of Socioeconomic Status and Age**

[\< 65]{.underline} [65 +]{.underline} [All Ages]{.underline}

[AIAN]{.underline} [All Races]{.underline} [AIAN]{.underline} [All
Races]{.underline} [AIAN]{.underline} [All Races]{.underline}

[Highest Education Attained]{.underline}

Some H.S. or Under 11.2% 8.6% 38.4% 26.1% 16.4% 15.1%

H.S. Graduate 28.9% 30.9% 22.6% 29.4% 27.7% 30.4%

Some College or More 59.9% 60.5% 39.0% 44.5% 55.9% 54.6%

[Annual Family Income]{.underline}

\< \$ 10,000 12.1% 6.4% 14.1% 7.1% 12.5% 6.6%

10,000 -- 19,999 12.0% 7.6% 20.7% 15.3% 13.7% 10.4%

20,000 -- 29,999 13.1% 10.2% 16.9% 17.5% 13.9% 12.8%

30,000 -- 49,999 24.2% 22.7% 22.9% 26.5% 24.0% 24.1%

50,000 + 38.5% 53.1% 25.4% 33.6% 36.0% 46.0%

[Home Ownership]{.underline}

Owning Home 63.0% 74.1% 79.5% 85.0% 66.2% 78.1%

Other 37.0% 25.9% 20.5% 15.0% 33.8% 21.9%

[Employment]{.underline}

Employed 68.0% 76.0% 17.1% 17.5% 58.3% 54.6%

Unemployed 5.6% 3.3% 1.4% 0.7% 4.8% 2.4%

Not in Labor Force 26.4% 20.7% 81.5% 81.8% 36.9% 43.1%

Total for Each Group 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

\* AIAN alone or combined with an other race(s).

Source: 2000 Decennial Census

Data from the 2000 decennial census show that overall, AIAN veterans and
veterans in general fare quite well, although AIAN veterans fare
slightly less well.

[Highest Education Attained]{.underline}

-   AIAN veterans of all ages have comparable educational attainment to
    veterans in general, but some differences by age are observed. For
    example:

    -   Older AIAN veterans are much more likely not to have completed
        high school than all veterans of that age (38 v. 26 percent).

    -   Compared to older veterans in general, older AIAN veterans were
        less likely to have completed high school (23 v. 29 percent) or
        have at least some college (39 v. 45 percent).

-   Overall, younger veterans, AIAN and veterans in general, have higher
    educational attainment than older veterans.

    [Annual Family Income]{.underline}

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-   AIAN veterans in general are more likely to have family incomes in
    the ranges below 30,000 dollars and less likely in the range of
    50,000 dollars or more than veterans of all races.

-   The proportion of AIAN veterans with less than 10,000 dollars of
    household income is about twice the proportion of veterans in
    general, although the proportion is fairly small (13 and 7 percent,
    respectively).

-   Among veterans under age 65, 39 percent of AIAN veterans and 53
    percent of veterans in general had incomes of 50,000 dollars or
    more.

-   Veterans 65 or older in general had lower income than their younger
    counterparts among both AIAN veterans and veterans of all races.

    [Home Ownership]{.underline}

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-   A solid majority of veterans own their own homes, although AIAN
    veterans are less likely to than veterans in general (66 percent v.
    78 percent, respectively).

-   Veterans 65 or older are more likely to own their own homes than
    those under 65, both among AIAN and veterans of all races.
    Sixty-three percent of AIAN veterans under 65 own homes, compared to
    74 percent of veterans in general of that age.

    [Employment]{.underline}

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-   Among veterans of all ages, nearly 60 percent of AIAN veterans and
    55 percent of veterans of all races were employed.

-   Among those under 65, who are more likely to be in the labor force
    than those 65 or over, 68 percent of AIAN veterans and 76 percent of
    veterans of all races were employed. About 6 percent of AIAN
    veterans under 65 were unemployed compared to 3 percent of veterans
    in general of that age.

-   Among veterans under 65, 26 percent of AIAN veterans were not in the
    labor force compared to 21 percent of veterans in general.
    Predictably, the proportion of older veterans not in the labor force
    is much higher, for both AIAN veterans and veterans in general
    (about 82 percent for each group).

    **Use of VA Programs**

In FY 2005, VA spent nearly 69 billion dollars on its benefits and
medical programs[^7], including health care. A veteran's decision to use
these services is affected by many factors. Most notable among them are
eligibility, need, and availability of alternative services. While a
snap shot or profile of select VA program usage among AIAN veterans does
not explicitly measure the influence of these and other factors, it does
show the extent to which benefits are used.

[Health Insurance]{.underline}

The data in Table 5 show a comparison of AIAN veterans with veterans of
all races with respect to their health insurance, from any source.
Although there is no VA health insurance program per se, health
insurance among veterans is of keen interest to VA in that it affects
their use of VA for medical services. That is, veterans without
insurance are more likely to use VA medical benefits than those with
access to other sources of care.

**Table 5. Percentage Distribution of AIAN\* Veterans and Veterans**

**of All Races by Age and Health Insurance Status**

  ------------------------ -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- --------------------
                           [\< 65]{.underline}                       [65 +]{.underline}                        [All                 
                                                                                                               Ages]{.underline}    

                                                                                                                                    

  [Health                  [AIAN]{.underline}   [All                 [AIAN]{.underline}   [All                 [AIAN]{.underline}   [All
  Insurance]{.underline}                        Races]{.underline}                        Races]{.underline}                        Races]{.underline}

                                                                                                                                    

  No Insurance             20.1                 15.1                 3.7                  1.0                  16.1                 9.7

  Some insurance \*\*      79.9                 84.9                 96.3                 99.0                 83.9                 90.3

  TOTAL                    100.0%               100.0%               100.0%               100.0%               100.0%               100.0%
  ------------------------ -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- --------------------

\*AIAN alone or in combination with another race(s).

\*\* Include public alone, private alone, or multiple sources (public
and/or private).

Base excludes relatively small number of those whose insurance status is
unknown.

Source: 2001 National Survey of Veterans (NSV).

-   AIAN veterans are less likely to have health insurance than veterans
    of all races (16 percent v. 10 percent)[^8].

-   Among AIAN veterans under 65, 20 percent reported no insurance
    compared to 15 percent of veterans of all ages.

-   Both AIAN veterans and veterans of all races over 65 are much more
    likely to have insurance than their younger counterparts. This, in
    large measure, reflects Medicare eligibility at age 65.

    [VA Health Care]{.underline}

    Table 6 below shows ever use of VA health care.

    **Table 6. Percent of AIAN\* Veterans and Veterans of All Races**

**Ever Used VA Health Care by Age**

+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
|                       | > [Percent Ever Used  |                       |
|                       | > VA Health           |                       |
|                       | > Care]{.underline}   |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
|                       |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| > [Age]{.underline}   | [AIAN]{.underline}    | [All                  |
|                       |                       | Races]{.underline}    |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
|                       |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| > \< 65               | 41.3                  | 32.1                  |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| > 65 +                | 58.1                  | 34.2                  |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| > TOTAL               | 45.3%                 | 33.5%                 |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+

\*AIAN alone or in combination with another race(s).

Source: 2001 NSV.

-   AIAN veterans are more likely than veterans of all races to report
    [ever]{.underline} using VA health care services.

-   The difference between AIAN veterans and veterans of all races is
    greater for veterans 65 or older than for veterans under 65.

-   The differences between AIAN veterans and veterans of all races can
    be attributed to many factors, including differences in health
    insurance status, service-connected disability status, and medical
    need.

    [VA Service-Connected Disability Compensation]{.underline}

Table 7 below shows the percent of AIAN veterans and veterans of all
races who report receiving VA service-connected disability compensation.

**Table 7. Percentage Distribution of AIAN\* Veterans**

**and Veterans of All Races**

**By Service-Connected Disability Status\*\***

+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| > [S.C. Disability    | [AIAN]{.underline}    | [All                  |
| > Status]{.underline} |                       | Races]{.underline}    |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
|                       |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| > SC Disability       | 16.0                  | 10.7                  |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| > Not SC Disability   | 84.0                  | 89.3                  |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| > TOTAL               | 100.0%                | 100.0%                |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+

\*AIAN alone or in combination with another race(s).

\*\* Not available by age from published data.

Source: 2001 NSV.

-   A higher proportion of AIAN veterans than veterans of all races
    report receiving VA disability compensation, 16 and 11 percent
    respectively.

-   Group differences in receipt of compensation can be due to several
    factors, acting separately or in combination, including differences
    in combat exposure, age, nature of the disability, etc.

    [VA Life Insurance]{.underline}

    Table 8 below shows AIAN veterans reporting having life insurance.

    **Table 8. Percent of AIAN\* Veterans and Veterans of All Races**

**With VA Life Insurance and Percent with Other Life Insurance\*\* by
Age**

  ------------------- ------------------------ -------------------- ------------------------ --------------------
                      [Percent VA Life                              [Percent Other Life      
                      Insurance]{.underline}                        Insurance]{.underline}   

                                                                                             

  [Age]{.underline}   [AIAN]{.underline}       [All                 [AIAN]{.underline}       [All
                                               Races]{.underline}                            Races]{.underline}

                                                                                             

  \< 65               6.4                      5.2                  66.9                     77.0

  65 +                10.7                     20.1                 58.5                     71.7

  All Ages            7.5%                     10.8%                64.8%                    75.0%
  ------------------- ------------------------ -------------------- ------------------------ --------------------

\*AIAN alone or in combination with another race(s).

\*\* A veteran can have both VA and other life insurance.

Source: 2001 NSV.

-   The majority of AIAN veterans and veterans in general report having
    life insurance from sources other than VA, particularly those under
    age 65.

-   A relatively small proportion of AIAN veterans and veterans in
    general report having VA life insurance, except perhaps, veterans in
    general age 65 or over (20 percent). Note: the percentages for VA
    and other life insurance cannot be added together because a veteran
    can have both VA and non-VA life insurance.

    [Home Loans]{.underline}

VA home loans have enabled millions of veterans to buy homes. Table 9
below shows the following:

**Table 9. Use of VA Home Loans\* Among**

**AIAN\*\* Veterans and Veterans of All Races**

+-----------------------------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| > [Home Loans]{.underline}        | [AI             | [All            |
|                                   | AN]{.underline} | Rac             |
|                                   |                 | es]{.underline} |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| > Percent Used any Home Loans     | 49.3            | 57.1            |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| > Percent VA Home Loans Among     | 65.3%           | 58.9%           |
| >                                 |                 |                 |
| > Those Using a Home Loan         |                 |                 |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------+-----------------+

\*Not available by age from published data.

Excludes small number unknown home loans.

\*\*AIAN alone or in combination with another race(s).

Source: 2001 NSV.

-   About half of AIAN veterans report having a home loan; nearly 60
    percent of all veterans report a home loan. The remaining veterans
    are renters or own homes outright.

-   Among those with home loans, a higher percent of AIAN veterans than
    veterans in general have VA home loans (65 and 59 percent,
    respectively).

    [VA Education and Training Benefits]{.underline}

Over time, at least 20 million veterans have taken advantage of VA
education and training benefits. These benefits are often cited as
facilitating the upward social and economic mobility of returning
veterans.

**Table 10. Percent of AIAN\* Veterans and Veterans of All Races**

**Who Have Used VA Education or Training Benefits**

**By War or Peacetime Service**

+------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------+
| > [Period]{.underline} | > [All                  | > [               |
|                        | > Races]{.underline}    | AIAN]{.underline} |
+------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------+
| > War                  | > 43.6%                 | > 42.0%           |
+------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------+
| > Peacetime            | > 36.1%                 | > 36.0%           |
+------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------+

\*AIAN alone or in combination with another race(s).

\*\* A veteran can have both war and peacetime service.

Source: 2001 NSV.

Table 10 shows that:

-   A large proportion of veterans, roughly 40 percent, report having
    used VA education or training benefits.

-   There is little difference between AIAN veterans and veterans in
    general with respect to use of these benefits.

    **Final Thoughts**

American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have made lasting
contributions to our nation's rich heritage, not the least of which has
been in the defense of our freedoms. These few pages cannot begin to
capture in full that contribution nor sadly some of the adverse
conditions of the past under which many of the contributions were made.
The paper is meant in some small way to recognize those contributions,
to provide some often overlooked details of the characteristics of
American Indian and Alaska Native veterans, and to honor those American
Indian and Alaska Natives who have worn our Nation's uniform, as we
honor all of their compatriots who have served.

There are more than 180,000 American Indian and Alaska Native veterans
living today, with more than one-fifth age 65 or older. With greater
proportions of American Indian and Alaska Natives, and other minorities,
in today's military, their proportion of the veteran population is
projected to increase. They will add to the diversity of our veteran
population. As such, it behooves us to be cognizant of and to address
any needs specific to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans as part
of VA's overall commitment to all veterans.

Appendix Table 1

AIAN Veterans and Veterans of All Races by Age and Census Region: Census
2000

Number Number Percent of Percent Number Percent

of AIAN Percent of of AIAN AIAN Vets Total Total of All 65+ of All 65+

[Region]{.underline} [Vets]{.underline} [AIAN Vets]{.underline} [Vets
65+]{.underline} [65+]{.underline} [Veterans]{.underline}
[Veterans]{.underline} [Veterans]{.underline} [Veterans]{.underline}

Midwest 71,536 18.7% 12,494 17.2% 6,096,476 23.1% 2,259,615 23.4%

Northeast 33,123 8.6% 6,883 9.5% 4,642,102 17.6% 1,959,561 20.3%

South 136,399 35.6% 26,201 36.1% 9,941,610 37.7% 3,445,741 35.7%

[West]{.underline} [142,070]{.underline} [37.1%]{.underline}
[27,091]{.underline} [37.3%]{.underline} [5,723,515]{.underline}
[21.7%]{.underline} [1,998,592]{.underline} [20.7%]{.underline}

Total 383,128 100.0% 72,669 100.0% 26,403,703 100.0% 9,663,509 100.0%

Source: Bureau of the Census, Census 2000.

Appendix Table 2

AIAN Veterans and Veterans of All Races by Age and State: Census 2000

Number Number Percent of Percent Number Percent

of AIAN Percent of of AIAN AIAN Vets Total Total of All 65+ of All 65+

[State]{.underline} [Vets]{.underline} [AIAN Vets]{.underline} [Vets
65+]{.underline} [65+]{.underline} [Veterans]{.underline}
[Veterans]{.underline} [Veterans]{.underline} [Veterans]{.underline}

[Midwest]{.underline}

Illinois 7,282 1.9% 1,410 1.9% 1,003,572 3.8% 390,976 4.0%

Indiana 5,646 1.5% 785 1.1% 590,476 2.2% 206,043 2.1%

Iowa 1,888 0.5% 261 0.4% 292,020 1.1% 115,676 1.2%

Kansas 5,073 1.3% 995 1.4% 267,452 1.0% 98,929 1.0%

Michigan 11,559 3.0% 2,021 2.8% 913,573 3.5% 332,493 3.4%

Minnesota 6,557 1.7% 1,083 1.5% 464,968 1.8% 168,412 1.7%

Missouri 8,167 2.1% 1,645 2.3% 592,271 2.2% 217,451 2.3%

Nebraska 1,707 0.4% 309 0.4% 173,189 0.7% 64,094 0.7%

North Dakota 2,313 0.6% 379 0.5% 61,365 0.2% 21,959 0.2%

Ohio 10,285 2.7% 1,712 2.4% 1,144,007 4.3% 423,226 4.4%

South Dakota 4,873 1.3% 855 1.2% 79,370 0.3% 29,623 0.3%

Wisconsin 6,186 1.6% 1,039 1.4% 514,213 1.9% 190,733 2.0%

[Northeast]{.underline}

Connecticut 2,599 0.7% 532 0.7% 310,069 1.2% 131,881 1.4%

Maine 1,563 0.4% 343 0.5% 154,590 0.6% 55,434 0.6%

Massachusetts 3,744 1.0% 735 1.0% 558,933 2.1% 241,452 2.5%

New Hampshire 1,135 0.3% 193 0.3% 139,038 0.5% 47,330 0.5%

New Jersey 4,231 1.1% 988 1.4% 672,217 2.5% 295,818 3.1%

New York 11,477 3.0% 2,473 3.4% 1,361,164 5.2% 577,702 6.0%

Pennsylvania 6,687 1.7% 1,373 1.9% 1,280,788 4.9% 544,732 5.6%

Rhode Island 890 0.2% 155 0.2% 102,494 0.4% 42,917 0.4%

Vermont 797 0.2% 91 0.1% 62,809 0.2% 22,295 0.2%

[South]{.underline}

Alabama 5,563 1.5% 913 1.3% 447,397 1.7% 155,988 1.6%

Arkansas 4,587 1.2% 1,069 1.5% 281,714 1.1% 103,024 1.1%

Delaware 717 0.2% 133 0.2% 84,289 0.3% 29,923 0.3%

D.C. 502 0.1% 147 0.2% 44,484 0.2% 18,150 0.2%

Florida 17,730 4.6% 3,306 4.5% 1,875,597 7.1% 823,718 8.5%

Georgia 7,392 1.9% 1,081 1.5% 768,675 2.9% 208,291 2.2%

Kentucky 3,557 0.9% 700 1.0% 380,618 1.4% 132,179 1.4%

Louisiana 4,156 1.1% 768 1.1% 392,486 1.5% 136,904 1.4%

Maryland 4,737 1.2% 723 1.0% 524,230 2.0% 170,565 1.8%

Mississippi 2,150 0.6% 485 0.7% 249,431 0.9% 88,378 0.9%

North Carolina 10,838 2.8% 1,601 2.2% 792,646 3.0% 259,484 2.7%

Oklahoma 31,251 8.2% 7,987 11.0% 376,062 1.4% 131,374 1.4%

South Carolina 3,270 0.9% 422 0.6% 420,971 1.6% 133,922 1.4%

Tennessee 5,840 1.5% 1,080 1.5% 560,141 2.1% 182,859 1.9%

Texas 24,401 6.4% 4,481 6.2% 1,754,809 6.6% 567,711 5.9%

Virginia 8,045 2.1% 949 1.3% 786,359 3.0% 226,560 2.3%

West Virginia 1,663 0.4% 356 0.5% 201,701 0.8% 76,711 0.8%

[West]{.underline}

Alaska 8,005 2.1% 1,439 2.0% 71,552 0.3% 11,867 0.1%

Arizona 16,806 4.4% 3,354 4.6% 562,916 2.1% 219,380 2.3%

California 52,617 13.7% 10,702 14.7% 2,569,340 9.7% 951,016 9.8%

Colorado 8,577 2.2% 1,080 1.5% 446,385 1.7% 131,158 1.4%

Hawaii 2,523 0.7% 299 0.4% 120,587 0.5% 40,759 0.4%

Idaho 2,632 0.7% 516 0.7% 136,584 0.5% 45,474 0.5%

Montana 5,112 1.3% 936 1.3% 108,476 0.4% 37,631 0.4%

Nevada 4,429 1.2% 869 1.2% 238,128 0.9% 77,453 0.8%

New Mexico 11,929 3.1% 2,579 3.5% 190,718 0.7% 65,463 0.7%

Oregon 8,943 2.3% 1,794 2.5% 388,990 1.5% 136,399 1.4%

Utah 2,388 0.6% 336 0.5% 161,351 0.6% 60,126 0.6%

Washington 16,625 4.3% 2,950 4.1% 670,628 2.5% 203,892 2.1%

Wyoming 1,484 0.4% 237 0.3% 57,860 0.2% 17,974 0.2%

[Grand Total]{.underline} 383,128 100.0% 72,669 100.0% 26,403,703 100.0%
9,663,509 100.0%

Source: Bureau of the Census, Census 2000

**Acknowledgments**

The authors wish to thank:

-   Mike McLendon, former VA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy,\
    and Steve Meskin, former VA Chief Actuary, for encouraging this
    work.

-   Jin Kim for programming assistance on select Census 2000 and ACS
    data.

-   Janet Somers for assistance in creating the tables, maps, and
    figures.

-   Henry Caplan for providing VA budget statistics.

-   Cathy Tomczak for facilitating the inclusion of DOD data on active
    duty military.

The author cited immediately below assumes sole responsibility for any
remaining shortcomings of this paper:

Robert E. Klein, Ph.D.

For more information, please contact Michael R. Wells at 202-273-5106,
or <Michael.Wells@va.gov>

[^1]: The information on American Indians in the military comes from a
    series of reports from the Department of Defense in honor of
    American Indian Heritage month. These reports can be found using the
    following link: <http://www.dod.mil/specials/nativeamerican01/>.

[^2]: Includes Desert Storm/Shield and Operations Enduring Freedom and
    Iraqi Freedom.

[^3]: The DOD number is somewhat understated in that American Indians of
    mixed ancestry (that is, those who are of another race or races as
    well as American Indian) are not included. The number includes
    members of the Coast Guard as well as DOD branches. Source: DOD,
    IDS, "Active Duty report by Gender and Race-Ethnic Group-3035 (EO)
    Jul 2005," and DOD, IDS, "Active Duty Age Change Report, Sept,
    1987-July 2005."

[^4]: Data from the 2000 Census show 195,871 veterans who identify
    themselves as AIAN alone.

[^5]: Northeast Region includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
    Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and
    Pennsylvania.

    Midwest Region includes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan,
    Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota,
    Nebraska, and Kansas.

    South Region includes Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia,
    Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
    Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas,
    Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

    West Region includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico,
    Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, and
    Hawaii.

[^6]: According to Census 2000, about one-half (51 percent) of all AIAN
    veterans, i.e., AIAN alone or in combination with other race(s),
    identified themselves as AIAN alone. Only about 6 percent of AIAN
    veterans, alone or in combination, identified themselves as
    Hispanic, who can be of any race.

[^7]: VA *FY 2007 Budget Submission*, Budget Outlays, FYs 1996-05
    Actuals, p. 7-23.

[^8]: The differences shown in this and other tables have not been
    tested for statistical significance.