Linda Old Horn-Purdy is a retired Navy chief petty officer from the Crow tribe, who was one of the first females in the Navy to serve on a combatant ship. The journey to her military career began on the Crow Agency reservation in Montana.

"I grew up around very traditional grandparents, and my father would pass down stories. We had oral history," she said. "They would teach us from our ancestors. Nothing was written down. I grew up knowing some of my language but my first language was English. I went to school off the reservation, so I lived in both worlds."

When she left the reservation to attend school, she said it was a culture shock, but she learned to adapt. She said she joined the military for the benefits such as education, training and travel. #military #Native American #USNavy

http://hanfordsentinel.com/lemoorenavynews/fleet_and_navy/native-american-navy-veteran-paved-way-for-career-field/article_92e1b0c8-47a2-5de3-a058-c6e0d0c252af.html