Photo By Megan Hackett | SFC Cornejo on duty read more read more
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Native American Day is observed annually on the second Monday in October, and it celebrates the cultures and contributions of the many Native American tribes. Staff Sgt. Victor Cornejo, of the Apache tribe, is originally from Palm Springs, CA. Since joining the military, he has served at multiple military bases, and is currently stationed at Fort Bragg, NC.
During his time stationed in Alaska, he was even able to work with those in the local Apache community. Cornejo felt that his heritage has really helped him to connect to locals and to the American public.
Cornejo is currently serving as the battalion medic for the Army Parachute Team, nicknamed the Golden Knights. Cornejo came into the military with a medical background, hoping to further his knowledge with a steady career in the field.
Sgt. 1st Class John Aughtman, drop zone safety officer for the APT, works closely each day with Cornejo.
“He (Cornejo) is always wanting to learn and expand his skillset,” Aughtman described. “He is always asking questions, reading articles, and just searching for knowledge.”
Aughtman described a recent medical scenario that required Cornejo to respond to a serious injury on a remote location. “Cornejo has a lot of expertise and was very skilled on the scene. I think he will have a long career with us.”
Cornejo was working as a trauma room technician in the emergency room department of his town in Minnesota. He wanted to pursue higher education in the medical field and to maintain a stable career.
“I saw a greater calling for service in the Army, as well as the chance to really further my education,” explained Cornejo.
Cornejo enlisted in the Army in 2008 as a 68W, a combat medic. Since joining the Army, Cornejo has been able to use the Army education benefits to work on his Master’s degree in Physical Therapy and Kinesiology.
Cornejo describes himself as a mix of Apache sister tribes, with his lineage being of Kiowa, Mescalero, and Lipan heritage. While making a connection to his heritage, Cornejo described the struggles that his family endured to be able to live and prosper.
After losing his great-grandparents and his uncle to racial genocide, Cornejo’s grandparents fled with their family to escape further persecution. They left their reservation in Oklahoma to move to areas spanning to Texas, New Mexico, northern Mexico, eventually settling in California.
Cornejo’s family pretended to be of Mexican descent to escape death. Cornejo said that his family name was originally Conejo, which translated to “rabbit” with his tribe. His family changed the name to what it is now to assimilate to Mexican culture.
“My hope is that with the recent ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, it can really shed light on issues among racial groups. I hope that we can celebrate the history and honor the sacrifices of our people. Don’t forget the history and the genocide of our people. People assume that Native Americans want things for free and we get harshly judged by the actions of a few; we just want recognition and respect. Many tribes very much live primitively off of the land and with very little money. They’re a strong people and the misconceptions are rough,” said Cornejo.
Cornejo describes his heritage as having a strong connection and respect for the land and environment.
“We are taught as kids to respect everything as a whole; everything is a life source. We are also taught to be very welcoming, and to have an open mind and an open heart,” said Cornejo.
Cornejo honors his culture by continuing the traditions in prayer, observances, festivals, and even cooking. His family attends Pow wows when they can, but opportunities in this area are limited. Cornejo said that he travels with his family to these events when it is possible, but the local events have been scarce in the past few years. He said that he hopes more local events can be held in the future so that he can carry on the traditions with his family.
“Being Native American in the military is no different than any other Soldier. We are all a team, all a family, and I’ve always felt included."
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2020 15:46 |
| Story ID: | 380577 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, NC, US |
| Hometown: | PALM SPRINGS, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 252 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldier talks Native American heritage and the pursuit of education, by Megan Hackett, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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