Proverbs 3: Veterans Day, part IV
She is far better than silver,
even better than gold.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.
————
In traditional Indigenous societies women are always honored as the greatest warriors.
This is because women can give life through their blood—an achievement no man can match.
Today we honor the memory of Laura Beltz-Wright, a great warrior.
Members of the Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG) did not need to be taught how to use a rifle.
On the Alaskan frontier, a rifle was a basic survival tool.
Nearly every one of the ATG members qualified as expert sharpshooter.
But none were more skilled than Laura, who scored a bullseye 49 of 50 times on her sharpshooter test.
She was born in 1909: Laura Metz, a Native Inupiat, from Candle, Alaska.
She was one of 23 women who served in the ATG during WWII.
Laura was born at a time when women—especially Native women—had few options in Alaska.
She never let it slow her down.
Laura served in the volunteer Army, then the Alaska National Guard, all without pay.
She ran a goldmine, delivered the US mail by dog team, and fished to feed them.
Laura raised six children, became a midwife, and conducted funerals—always standing in the gap for her community.
Laura also sewed traditional Inupiat parkas.
She was so good that an example of her work is on display in the Smithsonian.
She also patented her own version—the Laura Wright Alaskan Parky.
Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and Shirley Jones all wore them.
She was so successful, she even opened a shop on 5th Avenue.
(5th Avenue—Anchorage, that is!)
You can still order a custom Laura Wright Alaskan Parky on Facebook.
Her shop is still open, and being run by her granddaughter.
That is fitting, because that is what warriors do.
They stand in the gap for others, and they pass on their wisdom and power.
That gift is more precious than gold.