The National Memorial Day Concert is an annual program broadcast live from the west lawn of the US Capitol commemorating the Memorial Day holiday.
In tribute to the over 58,000 American lives lost in the Vietnam War and the more than 3 million Americans who served in Southeast Asia during the brutal conflict, this year’s concert will share the story of combat medic Francis Whitebird, a young warrior from a Lakota family with generations of military service. Whitebird’s uncle fought in World War I, his father was a Lakota Code Talker during World War II, and both his sons served in the Iraq War. During two tours in Vietnam, Whitebird endured combat losses and saved lives, received a Purple heart himself, and forged bonds of friendship that have lasted a lifetime.
Francis Whitebird grew up on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, and only spoke Lakota until he was 6 years old. Born into a family of veterans it was natural for him to enlist in the Army in 1968 and continue the family tradition.
Whitebird arrived in Vietnam in 1969 and was assigned to be a Combat Medic in the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. During his tour in country, Whitebird’s warrior spirit inspired confidence in his brothers in arms. He kept them mentally and physically fit, gave them hope in the face of death, saved countless lives. He fulfilled the promise to himself to go into combat and survive, and to earn a combat medic badge, continuing the valor of generations of warriors in his family.
In his post-military career, Whitebird earned his Master’s in Education from Harvard, returned to Rosebud Reservation and has devoted his life to preserving the Lakota language and culture.
Francis Whitebird will be honored for his service to his fellow soldiers and to our country during the National Memorial Day Concert. Watch Sunday, May 29 at 7:00pm Central, 6 Mountain, repeated at 9:00 Central, 8 Mountain on SDPB1-TV.
SDPB captured this interview with Francis Whitebird in 2017 as part of our effort to collect stories from South Dakota's Vietnam War Veterans.
(Cover photo courtesy of Capital Concerts)