Four generations of heroes
By Jerry W. Kram
Nathan Paul Good Iron of Mandaree knows something about service. For four generations, his family has served the United States in the military and were wounded in battle.
Good Iron recently attended a ceremoniy at the Standing Rock Reservation honoring the Lakota Code Talkers who helped keep communications secret from enemy ears. Unlike the better known Navajo codetalkers of WWII, the Lakota of Standing Rock were first recruited to serve in World War I. One of those pioneering service members was Good Iron’s grandfather, Paul Good Iron.
The code talkers of both world wars were honored with a Congressional Gold Medals which were presented to their families in November. The ceremony at Standing Rock was to dedicate a monument to the Lakota Code Talkers of both wars.
Good Iron has used the image of the monument to create his own memorial to his family service. Using the Code Talker Monument as a background, Good Iron has created a metal sign showing his family’s sacrifice in wartime. Good Iron, his father Gilbert Good Iron and grandfather all suffered service related disabilities. Good Iron’s son, Nathan J. Good Iron, gave the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed in Afghanistan.
