WEBVTT 00:03.940 --> 00:06.610 Okay when they look at you right here . 00:06.620 --> 00:08.842 Okay . My name is Nick , broke shoulder 00:08.842 --> 00:11.009 and I'm from originally from Flagstaff 00:11.009 --> 00:13.064 Arizona . We're here with the Native 00:13.064 --> 00:16.050 Star dance team And in Mexico . Uh This 00:16.050 --> 00:19.000 program was uh moved through the morale 00:19.000 --> 00:21.000 welfare recreation out of Frankfurt 00:21.000 --> 00:24.140 Germany . And I was tasked to find six 00:24.140 --> 00:26.880 performers myself as the M . C . And 00:26.890 --> 00:29.540 five dancers . And I picked sky 00:29.540 --> 00:31.780 medicine there , charon broke shoulder 00:31.780 --> 00:34.640 Brent broke shoulder uh kelly it city 00:34.650 --> 00:37.280 and summer Don Hewson to assist with 00:37.280 --> 00:40.250 this whole endeavor . Uh This occurred 00:40.250 --> 00:43.140 roughly near september 23rd and uh 00:43.140 --> 00:45.307 actually we were given the green light 00:45.307 --> 00:47.910 to prepare to travel to Iraq roughly on 00:47.920 --> 00:51.780 october 21st . And so it's been quite 00:51.780 --> 00:53.780 an endeavor . The native Star Dance 00:53.780 --> 00:56.002 team is a loose collection of dancers . 00:56.002 --> 00:58.113 I have other dancers that have worked 00:58.113 --> 01:00.336 with me in the past . And at the bottom 01:00.336 --> 01:02.280 line is that they are all champion 01:02.280 --> 01:04.550 performers . Uh I approached many of 01:04.550 --> 01:06.570 these dancers at the murano Powell 01:06.570 --> 01:08.681 which was held at the Cabazon Band of 01:08.681 --> 01:11.320 mission indians uh , casino , which is 01:11.320 --> 01:13.431 located on interstate 10 just outside 01:13.431 --> 01:16.160 of riverside . Uh , during that power , 01:16.160 --> 01:19.040 I actually contacted 15 dancers to do 01:19.040 --> 01:22.640 this out of those 15 . We came down to 01:22.640 --> 01:24.473 six and majority that was due to 01:24.473 --> 01:27.640 passports and family situations , uh 01:27.650 --> 01:30.390 work school and such to get them out 01:30.390 --> 01:33.190 here . But uh , we're really glad we're 01:33.190 --> 01:35.540 here and we've done a lot here so far . 01:35.540 --> 01:37.450 This is our sixth exhibition for 01:37.450 --> 01:39.450 tonight Here at the Al Faw Palace . 01:39.450 --> 01:43.450 Yes I was in the army . I was 01:43.450 --> 01:45.990 in the army for 20 years . I did my 1st 01:46.000 --> 01:48.450 10 years roughly in field artillery . 01:48.460 --> 01:50.770 My background , 13 Romeo firefighter , 01:50.770 --> 01:53.620 radar operator . And then I moved into 01:53.630 --> 01:55.352 the recruiting command . I was 01:55.352 --> 01:57.770 involuntary selected and uh became 01:57.780 --> 01:59.724 basic recruiter . Moving on to the 01:59.724 --> 02:02.310 station commander and I finished up in 02:02.320 --> 02:04.430 gallup new Mexico having served in 02:04.430 --> 02:07.930 Oceanside and gallop primarily when I 02:07.930 --> 02:10.020 retired . I was because some first 02:10.020 --> 02:12.690 class station commander 79 Romeo 40 . 02:12.700 --> 02:16.460 Yes , yes , 02:16.470 --> 02:19.730 yes , yes we 02:19.740 --> 02:22.880 yes . 02:22.890 --> 02:26.220 Well I have to say 02:26.220 --> 02:28.920 that when starting back with the group 02:28.920 --> 02:31.310 is itself right . I had to work with 02:31.310 --> 02:33.254 these young people and my youngest 02:33.254 --> 02:35.421 dancer is 18 years old . Okay , so for 02:35.421 --> 02:37.477 all of the answers I had to ask them 02:37.477 --> 02:39.477 one question . Are you sure this is 02:39.477 --> 02:41.699 what you want to do because the element 02:41.699 --> 02:43.866 of risk the travel the time off in the 02:43.866 --> 02:45.810 light . Right . It's a very , very 02:45.810 --> 02:48.940 major consideration . Ask for myself 02:48.950 --> 02:51.200 when they said , do you want to come 02:51.200 --> 02:53.311 out here to support the troops ? That 02:53.311 --> 02:55.422 was no problem . I was right from the 02:55.422 --> 02:57.589 get go from day one on that cell phone 02:57.589 --> 02:59.756 call to make a productions , they said 02:59.756 --> 03:01.978 for the troops , I'm there , that's all 03:01.978 --> 03:04.089 there was to be prepared and ready to 03:04.089 --> 03:06.465 go . Uh , what strikes me when I , when 03:06.465 --> 03:08.576 I'm out here in the field , I've been 03:08.576 --> 03:10.743 to the fobs out there in the field . I 03:10.743 --> 03:12.798 have to say that the soldiers that I 03:12.798 --> 03:16.275 see are so driven there . So their 03:16.275 --> 03:20.055 mindsets are , are so focused to for 03:20.065 --> 03:22.545 for getting the job done , the soldiers 03:22.545 --> 03:24.775 that I've seen also , it seems as if 03:24.775 --> 03:26.995 they're they're more physically fit . 03:27.005 --> 03:30.065 Uh not to say that they were in my time , 03:30.065 --> 03:32.065 but I have to say that there's some 03:32.065 --> 03:35.655 really big soldiers out there . And uh 03:35.665 --> 03:37.721 I've seen , I've seen them in the in 03:37.721 --> 03:40.365 the flight lines . We flew uh three 03:40.365 --> 03:42.755 missions to get these sites on you ate 03:42.755 --> 03:45.525 60 . I see soldiers carrying rucksacks 03:45.525 --> 03:47.636 and the like and the dust is still on 03:47.636 --> 03:49.581 there and they got that look where 03:49.581 --> 03:51.414 they're , they're taking care of 03:51.414 --> 03:53.735 business . And so uh in terms of the 03:53.735 --> 03:56.545 real , the real world mission , I I 03:56.545 --> 03:58.725 feel that the soldiers here are doing 03:58.735 --> 04:00.846 everything that they need to do under 04:00.846 --> 04:02.957 the guidance and direction from their 04:02.957 --> 04:04.846 elements . Uh taking care of them 04:04.846 --> 04:07.179 wherever they're serving . It's awesome . 04:07.179 --> 04:10.385 It's awesome . And that's all I can say . 04:10.395 --> 04:14.025 Uh the biggest reward for me coming 04:14.025 --> 04:16.485 over here is to be with the troops to 04:16.485 --> 04:19.765 see them . Many of the soldiers uh that 04:19.765 --> 04:21.876 are native american heritage . Okay . 04:21.876 --> 04:24.065 In my time frame , okay , after 20 04:24.065 --> 04:26.065 years , I think I've only witnessed 04:26.065 --> 04:28.615 maybe just to uh native american 04:28.615 --> 04:31.185 heritage just specials . Whereas maybe 04:31.195 --> 04:32.806 a soldier came up and read a 04:32.806 --> 04:35.605 proclamation and so forth . I had seen 04:35.615 --> 04:38.985 uh one occasion where where there was 04:38.995 --> 04:42.045 not too much time to get regalia or 04:42.045 --> 04:45.055 dancers or singers onto a page that's 04:45.055 --> 04:47.055 all I can recollect . So what I'm 04:47.055 --> 04:48.785 saying is that the dancer of a 04:48.785 --> 04:50.896 correction the soldiers that I've met 04:50.896 --> 04:52.841 in the field coming from different 04:52.841 --> 04:55.705 areas have approached our dancers and 04:55.715 --> 04:57.815 in certain cases they've gotten very 04:57.815 --> 05:00.365 emotional . They said , I'm so glad 05:00.365 --> 05:02.645 you're here . You brought home back to 05:02.645 --> 05:05.525 me . There's I can't tell you enough . 05:05.535 --> 05:08.515 And and also on the Myspace dot com . 05:08.525 --> 05:10.525 Right ? Some of these soldiers have 05:10.525 --> 05:12.565 already transmitted their photos to 05:12.565 --> 05:14.343 them and many , many people are 05:14.343 --> 05:17.735 starting to see uh our dance team here 05:17.745 --> 05:20.565 on my space with those soldiers . And 05:20.575 --> 05:23.895 you know , it's it's that in itself is 05:23.905 --> 05:26.695 the internet has changed many things . 05:26.705 --> 05:30.625 So I guess again , what is special to 05:30.625 --> 05:32.792 me ? The bottom line is those soldiers 05:32.792 --> 05:35.365 coming up to us and we have nothing 05:35.365 --> 05:37.585 more to say and thank you for what 05:37.585 --> 05:39.863 you're doing here . We're here for you . 05:39.863 --> 05:42.085 I've said this more than one occasion . 05:42.085 --> 05:44.196 So that's how I'm getting paid back . 05:44.196 --> 05:45.418 And that's all I need 05:51.015 --> 05:53.785 an example was example this evening a 05:53.785 --> 05:55.785 young lady came up to me , she says 05:55.785 --> 05:58.085 she's pottawatomie tribe and create uh 05:58.095 --> 06:00.317 coming out of Nebraska . She came up to 06:00.317 --> 06:02.373 me and she says to me , she says she 06:02.373 --> 06:04.715 says , mr broke shoulder , hearing you 06:04.715 --> 06:07.715 speak tonight reminded me of my father , 06:07.725 --> 06:11.015 she says , can I have your photograph 06:11.025 --> 06:13.375 to me ? You know , for a younger 06:13.375 --> 06:15.431 soldier , you know younger , younger 06:15.431 --> 06:17.755 female soldier for her to ask me to do 06:17.755 --> 06:21.655 that in that manner I am honored . You 06:21.655 --> 06:24.225 know , if I brought back just that much 06:24.225 --> 06:27.235 of home for her . That's all I've done . 06:27.245 --> 06:31.175 I've gotten my my dues . If I have 06:31.175 --> 06:33.397 to say anything , I I'm being paid back 06:33.397 --> 06:36.145 10,000 times . That's all I can say . 06:36.155 --> 06:39.185 Another example is when we went to camp 06:39.185 --> 06:42.315 Virginia on day one , there were two 06:42.325 --> 06:44.705 Alaskan boys that showed up over there . 06:44.715 --> 06:47.145 Those two Alaskan boys coming out of 3 06:47.145 --> 06:50.055 to 97 Infantry number one . They're 06:50.065 --> 06:52.465 Eskimos from from up my point hope and 06:52.465 --> 06:54.243 point barrel . I served in Fort 06:54.243 --> 06:56.409 Richardson When I had a chance to talk 06:56.409 --> 06:58.576 with them , they started talking about 06:58.576 --> 07:00.687 their home , their background hunting 07:00.687 --> 07:02.632 and fishing . That's all we talked 07:02.632 --> 07:04.687 about . But those two young men cane 07:04.687 --> 07:06.743 and washed us set up and prepare and 07:06.743 --> 07:08.854 didn't leave . They were in pt here . 07:08.854 --> 07:11.132 They didn't leave when we did the show , 07:11.132 --> 07:13.298 they stayed there . They couldn't stop 07:13.298 --> 07:16.340 talking to us . And what happened was 07:16.340 --> 07:18.562 they approached my wife and and the one 07:18.562 --> 07:20.920 soldier gave her his patch that has the 07:20.920 --> 07:22.920 big dipper on that patch that meant 07:22.920 --> 07:24.976 more for my wife than anything she's 07:24.976 --> 07:27.470 ever wanted any championship anywhere . 07:27.480 --> 07:29.890 It just , it's just too unreal . I have 07:29.890 --> 07:33.630 many other stories also uh that we were 07:33.630 --> 07:36.930 at another , another site there where a 07:36.940 --> 07:39.660 young , a young female soldier took off 07:39.670 --> 07:41.890 her first cab patch and gave it to my 07:41.890 --> 07:44.770 wife and put it on her yellow dress and 07:44.770 --> 07:47.460 and talking about my wife also , those 07:47.460 --> 07:49.710 same soldiers . And also it is whether 07:49.710 --> 07:52.690 non native native when they heard that 07:52.690 --> 07:56.170 God bless the USa every single person 07:56.180 --> 07:58.500 at every single site is just 07:58.510 --> 08:01.680 gravitating to that song . So what's 08:01.680 --> 08:04.530 happening is is we're crossing cultural 08:04.540 --> 08:06.429 barriers . Were crossing cultural 08:06.429 --> 08:09.370 divide . That adaptation of the native 08:09.370 --> 08:11.259 american sign language , which is 08:11.259 --> 08:13.820 almost almost non existent . Uh , very , 08:13.820 --> 08:15.931 very few people know how to do that . 08:15.931 --> 08:18.530 And so when my wife worked on it , we 08:18.530 --> 08:20.960 consulted many different tribal members 08:20.970 --> 08:23.250 talked about it and and brought that 08:23.260 --> 08:25.316 and it made that adaptation for that 08:25.316 --> 08:27.870 song . Uh again , it has crossed 08:27.870 --> 08:30.900 cultural barriers . So , uh , one other 08:30.900 --> 08:33.140 factor is that the personnel for the 08:33.140 --> 08:35.680 stage set up for , for the Nwr at all 08:35.680 --> 08:37.680 these local sites that every single 08:37.680 --> 08:40.210 camp there remarking to me and telling 08:40.210 --> 08:42.210 me that this is the first time that 08:42.210 --> 08:44.630 they have had this many people show up 08:44.640 --> 08:46.751 based off of different acts that have 08:46.751 --> 08:48.910 performed at other places . The 08:48.910 --> 08:51.132 National Guard New Mexico . And another 08:51.132 --> 08:53.299 thing is the new Mexico National Guard 08:53.299 --> 08:55.466 finished their tour on day two when we 08:55.466 --> 08:57.577 went to to lil , that whole group was 08:57.577 --> 09:00.130 primarily Navajo from gallup New Mexico . 09:00.140 --> 09:02.680 And we capped off their year with a 09:02.680 --> 09:05.050 successful dance right there in their 09:05.050 --> 09:06.883 food court underneath the wooden 09:06.883 --> 09:09.050 structure shelter with the burger king 09:09.050 --> 09:11.680 in the subway all the way around total 09:11.680 --> 09:14.520 success . They , we could have stayed 09:14.520 --> 09:16.590 there for hours on end . It was that 09:16.590 --> 09:20.130 awesome . It was really crazy . And uh , 09:20.140 --> 09:22.307 that's what I say and uh , that's what 09:22.307 --> 09:24.196 I'm , I'm getting back and that , 09:24.196 --> 09:25.807 that's , that's all I need . 09:25.807 --> 09:29.710 Well I'd 09:29.710 --> 09:31.470 like to say to all the troops 09:31.480 --> 09:35.450 everywhere to keep doing a good job . 09:35.460 --> 09:37.640 Let's make it happen . We're proud of 09:37.640 --> 09:39.751 you and we want you to come home back 09:39.751 --> 09:41.862 to your loved ones and your family no 09:41.862 --> 09:44.029 matter where you come from , no matter 09:44.029 --> 09:47.060 what skin color background we're proud 09:47.060 --> 09:50.240 of you . There's so many , so many 09:50.240 --> 09:52.351 things I could just keep going on and 09:52.351 --> 09:54.460 on . That's the bottom line is that 09:54.470 --> 09:56.581 we're here for the troops and this is 09:56.581 --> 09:58.692 why we volunteered . I'm the only one 09:58.692 --> 10:00.859 that had the military background . The 10:00.859 --> 10:03.026 rest of those kids didn't have any any 10:03.026 --> 10:05.248 idea . And now they're , they're seeing 10:05.248 --> 10:07.350 firsthand of what the soldiers 10:07.360 --> 10:09.830 soldering is all about and what this 10:09.830 --> 10:12.830 mission is all about . It's unreal . So 10:12.830 --> 10:14.160 my hat's off to them .