India, Dec. 23 -- Joseph Henry Suina, an 81-year-old Native American Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, is finally showing signs of healing, six decades after serving two tours in the Vietnam War.

Suina'a father was a World War II veteran, and he was raised in the federally recognized pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico. His entire existence was and continues to be shaped by the "simple" way of life ingrained in the neighborhood nestled between Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

Joseph Henry Suina grew up in the Cochiti Pueblo, where many families historically contributed disproportionately high numbers of service members relative to their population.

As the eldest kid in the family, Suina was forced to take on the role of protector and caregiv...