Drawing fire : a Pawnee, artist, and Thunderbird in World War II / Brummett Echohawk with Mark R. Ellenbarger ; edited by Trent Riley ; foreword by Lt. Col. Ernest Childers.
Publisher:
University Press of Kansas,
Copyright Date:
2019
Description:
xvi, 231 pages, 16 leaves of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm
The quill of the thunderbird -- Bureau of Indian Affairs -- Van Gogh countryside -- Father, bless our soldiers -- The second day -- Counterattack time -- The Katy Line -- Avalanche -- The Anzio Abscess -- Postscript.
Summary:
"In 1940, at the age of seventeen, Pawnee Indian artist Brummett Echohawk (1922-2006) enlisted in the 45th Infantry Division--the "Thunderbirds"--part of the Oklahoma Army National Guard in his home town of Pawnee, Oklahoma. General George Patton told the 45th that they were "one of the best if not the best division in the history of American arms." Drawing Fire, Echohawk's memoir of his military service, tells the epic true story of a young Pawnee artist serving in a unit composed largely of Native Americans during some of the most significant battles of the Second World War, including Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio. Woven into the tapestry of Drawing Fire are Pawnee legends, language, and American Indian humor, all which offer a rare glimpse of the Native American experience in Europe during World War II. The book is supplemented by more than 40 combat sketches Echohawk made during the war. The foreword is by WWII veteran, Medal of Honor recipient, and Muscogee (Creek) Indian Lt. Col. Ernest Childers"--Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.