‘They have a loyalty’: AFN photos capture generations of Alaska Natives’ military service

By Rhonda McBride, KNBAAttendees of the Alaska Federation of Natives convention view an exhibit featuring images of Alaska Native veterans by photographer Bill Hess on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage. The Alaska Federation of Natives convention, which opened Thursday in Anchorage, always takes time out to honor veterans. But this year, they’re an even bigger part of this annual gathering.

Alaska Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Wanda Solomon-Parsons was at the event and in uniform. A veteran of two tours of duty in Afghanistan, she was struck by how Hess’ photos evoke the spirituality of serving the nation. The work unveiled Wednesday has been culled from four decades of pictures that Hess, now 73, has snapped at veterans’ ceremonies. It also includes sit-down portraits of veterans he met along the way.Frank Bester, Jr., right, takes a selfie with photographer Bill Hess during the Alaska Federation of Natives convention on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023 at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage.

Benno Cleveland, who heads the Alaska Native Veterans Council and served in Vietnam, says that service is a way of life for Alaska Natives. The tradition goes back to World War II, when thousands of Alaska Natives signed up to join the Alaska Territorial Guard, to defend the country when the Japanese bombed Unalaska and invaded the Aleutian Islands.Cleveland said Native veterans are known for their love of service, as well as their endurance and remarkable ability to fight in the cold.

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