Comanche Indian Veterans Association Sends-Off Marine Recruit

Comanche Indian Veterans Association (CIVA) held a send-off ceremony on Thursday, April 18, for Marine Corps Recruit Jazmyne Karty at the Dorothy Lorentino Education Center in Lawton, Oklahoma.

CIVA members, as well as former Marines, spoke about their time in the military.

“It's a special feeling,” Karty said. “I'm thankful to be here, and I'm thankful for my people, and I'm proud to be here.”

As for her reason to go into the Marines…

“The pride of the service, hardest branch, the warrior spirit,” Karty said.

She will be heading to San Diego for boot camp on Sunday, April 21 and said she was very excited to start and graduate to become a Marine.

“I'm proud of my family for standing with me on this path, and I'm thankful for the chance to serve,” Karty said.

CIVA Commander Roger Tehauno said they want to see new recruits going into the military.

“Give them some support is the main thing, you know, somebody that they can rely on or maybe call for advice, you know, just to give them some support,” he said.

Tehauno said it’s a new experience for recruits.

“Anybody that's going in the military, you know, you're kind of leery…it's a new adventure in life,” he said. “And I know a lot of people were kind of scared, you know, I mean, not more or less scared, but just apprehensive about what was going to happen, you know, and we're here to let her know that, you know, it's not bad, you know, they're capable, they can do it.”

Tehauno said the tradition of the send-off began many years ago.

“We would go to airports; we went to the city a few times, Oklahoma City, Lawton Airport a few times, and also the same as when they returned getting out of the military, you know, showing them support,” he said. “Because when I came home from Vietnam, we didn't get any support from, you know, the general public. It was a bad scene, you know, they called us every name in a book, but I didn't feel like, you know, we didn't want to do that to these guys that's coming home, the new veterans, you know.”

Karty also received gifts from CIVA and was honored with a feathering.

Marine Corps Princess Kasey Atauvich was also in attendance.