Tribal member conducts Roseville Rotary club Veterans Day program

The Rotary Club of Roseville, California, has held a Veterans Day program each year since the end of World War II.

For the last 13 years, the Veterans Day program has been conducted by Choctaw Tribal member John C. Smith, a retired chief of police and veteran of the US Marine Corps.

John is the son of tribal member J.W. Smith and grandson of Ruby G. Crawford, both of Bennington, Oklahoma.

As a child, John lived in Boswell, Oklahoma, and on a Choctaw land grant that had been given to Ruby’s stepfather Joe Durant.

John says he wants to honor the veterans in Rotary like the Choctaws honor their veterans, including his two brothers, Lewis and Ralph Smith.

John frequently wears a jacket with the Choctaw seal to meetings which has promoted conversations about Choctaws.

Pictured are John Smith with Roseville Rotary Club President, Michele Wilkerson.