Michael T. Seeley was born in Canada and grew up there. But that didn't stop the Mi'kmaq man from New Brunswick from enlisting in the U.S. Army and going to Iraq.

"It hearkens back to the warrior tradition that is part of the culture of many tribes," John Moses of the Canadian Museum of Civilization told The Washington Post.

Seeley first went to Iraq in 2003. He was supposed to come home October 28 but he volunteered to stay longer so others in his unit could celebrate Thanksgiving.

Two days later, he died. The Humvee he was driving was hit by roadside bomb outside Baghdad.

According to the Iraq Casualty Count site (http://icasualties.org), 29 American Indian and Alaska Native soldiers have died in the war. The site doesn't specify whether these soldiers were U.S. or Canadian.

The First Nations Drum newspaper (http://www.firstnationsdrum.com) has counted at least 26 Canadian Natives who are serving in the U.S. military.

Get the Story:
A Canadian Indian's Age-Old Call to U.S. Duty (The Washington Post 11/26)
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