Our lesson for today included the remembrance of a Cherokee family member who gave his life in service to the United States during World War II.
While we use a variety of curricula, we also teach through life. Above is a picture of my oldest grandson finding the name of our cousin, Hiawatha Tuggle, on the Memorial Wall for World War II inside the Veteran's Memorial Museum in Branson, Missouri. We discussed Hi that day and explained the sacrifice he'd made. Today, we remembered his life so we could truly honor the sacrifice he'd made.
Corporal Hiawatha F. Tuggle was born May 27, 1921, the son of Hugh Tuggle, a non-Indian, and Elizabeth Fisher, a Cherokee by blood who was listed on the Final Dawes Roll.
Hiawatha attended Chilocco Indian School for 4 years and studied auto mechanics. He graduated with the Class of 1940 and participated in Trades Club and the National Guard. He was on the Honor Roll two years.
A quote about him from his yearbook, "Tuggle takes things slow and easy. He says that's how the tortoise won the race with the hare."
According to an article that appeared in the Pawhuska Journal-Capital in Pawhuska, Oklahoma on Wednesday, September 15, 1943, Hiawatha was killed in action July 12, 1943 in North Africa. He was in the 45th Division.
Hiawatha was the first cousin of my grandpa, the children's great great grandpa, Aaron Carey, who also served in WWII.
They were the great grandsons of Dave Tadpole Jr, who served on the Executive Committee as adviser to the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and who was a Keetoowah leader of his area.
They were also the grandsons of various degrees of at least four Cherokee men, Dave Tadpole Jr (above), Johnson Fisher Sr, Fisher Hatchet, and Ave Vann, who fought on the side of the Union in the U.S. Civil War. Ave Vann died in service during a skirmish with Confederate Cherokees.
Additionally, Hiawatha and Aaron were the 5th great grand nephews of the great Cherokee warrior Shoeboots who earned honor due to his bravery serving on the side of the United States at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend during the War of 1812.
That was our Memorial Day lesson today and it's an example of how I teach using meaningful people and moments from our lives or the lives of our ancestors. Though Hi died nearly 80 years ago, my 7, 9, and 10 year old grandchildren remember him and the sacrifice he made. May they never forget.
Until next time,
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