Picture: Dixie Thompson, director Akta Lakota Museum, places a sign above the display of canvas prints of four of South Dakota’s Native America World War II veterans. The four veterans were also featured in Greg Latza’s photo-documentary collection of South Dakota’s WWII vets, Blue Stars. Through the end of the month, Akta Lakota Museum is displaying photos of four of South Dakota’s Native American World War II veterans as a way to honor their personal service to the country.
The canvas photo prints are of veterans highlighted in Greg Latza’s Blue Stars, a book documenting stories of 44 of South Dakota’s WWII veterans.
“Vets have always been honored in the Native American culture,” said Dixie Thompson, director of the museum. She sees the prints as part of a larger plan for a historical center for St. Joseph’s Indian School where the museum is located.
The prints showcase Reuben LaBatte (Peever), Dave Bald Eagle (Takini), Marcella LeBeau (Eagle Butte) and Clarence Wolf Guts (Wanblee).
Don Peacock, facilities manager at St. Joseph’s, worked with photographer Greg Latza to secure the prints for display at the museum. Peacock’s father Jim was also featured in the Blue Stars collection.
Through Jim Peacock’s inclusion in the book, the Peacock family became friends with veteran Wolf Guts and Latza. “(Clarence) has become a friend of the Peacocks. It was fun to see the book serve in a different manner,” explained Latza, on the friendships that developed.
Peacock thought displaying the photos at the museum would serve a greater purpose.
In an email to the Sun, he wrote, “We all need to be reminded. The children need to be awakened to the role models already in their communities.”
He continued, “The people profiled in Greg’s book are representative of the shining stars, not just blue stars, that have set a profound example service to others. Not sure of the exact quote but Admiral Nimitz said something like this “They gave their everything, all we have to do is remember.” The museum hosting Greg Latza’s photos of Native American WWII warriors/citizen soldiers is our way of remembering.” About the veterans (from Blue Stars):
Dave Bald Eagle: Grandson of Chief White Bull, who fought in the Battle of Little Big Horn against Custer’s 7th Cavalry. Bald Eagle was a U.S. Army paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division.
Reuben LaBatte: The majority of LaBatte’s service was spent on the battleship New Jersey as part of a 16-inch gun crew. Upon his return from WWII, the Sisseton Wahpeton tribe honored him with a war staff. Latza said LaBatte was battling cancer at the time of the photo and passed away before the book was published.
Clarence Wolf Guts: He served as a Lakota code-talker and was one of at least a dozen Lakota code-talkers who served in the Pacific and European theaters.
Marcella LeBeau: Serving with the Army Nurse Corps, Marcella helped to heal soldiers from England to Belgium during nearly two years in Europe. Her work began at an England hospital as soldiers began arriving on D-Day.
