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DISCOVERINGDISCOVERINGHISTORYHByYMLCplLukeGorleskyCapitolCityNCIwasoneof30YoungMa-rinesfromallovertheUnitedStateswhoenjoyedaweeklongSPACESadventurecalledtheWildWestExcursion.IttookplaceinRapidCityandtheBlackHillsofSouthDakota.Fourofthehighlightswerevisit-ingMt.RushmorevisitingtheCrazyHorseMonumentvisit-ingan1880townandnallygoingtotheBadlands.WhenwearrivedatMt.Rush-moretherstthingwedidwaseatatarestaurantwherewehadaperfectviewofMt.Rushmoreandwheretheyservedbuffalostewamongotherthings.AfterwardswetookahikeandwatchedashortlmcliponhowMt.Rushmorewasbuilt.WealsotouredamuseumwhichdescribedtheNativeAmericanslifeandtheirculture.Anotherhighlightwasvisitingandex-ploringatownfromthe1880s.Wefeltwhatitwasliketolivebackthenandwhatpeopledidintheirsparetimeandwegottodressascowboysandcow-girls.Wealsogottoduelwithfakegunstoo.AnothertimewewatchedalmcliponthenatureoftheBadlandswhereitfeltlikeyouwereinthedesertalthoughitwasveryhumid.Thetemperaturecangetupto112degreesBuffaloStewWasontheMenuByYMLCplChaseDavisCherryPointNCOurunitstriptoSouthDakotathissummerwasthersttripwehadevermadethere.ItwasgreatgettingtomeetotherYoungMarinesfromotherstatesandreallyfunlearningabouttheplainsandthewaypeoplehavelivedthereincludingthewaytheNativeAmeri-canslived.WemetaLakotaSiouxchiefnamedChiefBeautifulBaldEaglewhohadbeenintheU.S.ArmyduringWorldWarIIandwasaparatrooper.Hewasshotatthreetimesbutsurvivedandisadecoratedveteran.AnotherthingwegottolearnwasahoopdancetaughtbyaNativeAmeri-candancer.Itwasfun.WegottoseethesetwheresomeofthelmDanceswithWolveswaslmed.WebuiltateepeeandwesawthebisonorTatankawhichmeansBisonintheSiouxlanguagealongwithmanyotheranimals.Theplainsandtherollinghillswereamazingtowakeupto.TheBlackHillswereevencoolertoseealongwiththeBadlandswhereapieceofdesertlandstartsandifitwasntforthatdesertthenativelanguagemightnothavebeenaroundbecausethatswherethena-tivesedforshelteragainsttheU.S.Army.ThelastthingthatstoodouttomewasthesiteofWoundedKneetheplacewhere300LakotamenwomenandchildrenwerekilledbytheU.S.7thCavalryinDecember1890.In1970abravegroupknownastheAmericanIndianMovementheldtheirgroundthereprotestingforequalrights.ByfarthiswasthebesttimeIveeverhadasaYoungMarine.AsayoungNavajomyselfIhavecometoappre-ciatelearningallofthisandIhopemaybeIcangothereagainsometimeinthefuture.WalkingintheFootstepsoftheLakotaSiouxA100-year-oldphotoshowsthreeLakotaSiouxbrothers--WhiteLanceJosephHornCloudandDeweyBeardlefttorightwhosurvivedthe1890massacreoftheirtribemembersatWoundedKnee.OurNations8ESPRITFall2013