This is for those of you who asked about my family's friendship with the Kennedys

[Wetzelbill]

I have had a few requests to talk some more about it, and maybe get some pictures. I'll see what I can do on the pictures. But here is an interview that my grandfather gave a few days before his death in 2003.

I have shared a few stories, like my grandfather once gave a gavel crafted by a Blackfeet artist to JFK, and that my Uncle Mike was named after Mike Mansfield and ended up being Senator Mansfield's senate page, and that during that time he was loaned out to Bobby Kennedy and would carry his briefcase for him nearly every morning.

The one story that touches me the most, especially in light of recent events is that after my grandfather died, Teddy Kennedy had his secretary call members of my family, including my father and my aforementioned Uncle Mike, to ask about attending the funeral or any other service. We had already had it by then, but he wanted to know if we were going to have any other special event honoring my grandfather because he wanted to go, or at least send a representative like RFK Jr, to be on hand. His reason? He said that the "Wetzels and Kennedys are family." I know politicians say things, and they get elected because they have a way of making acquaintences feel special etc. But to this day, that Ted Kennedy would have the compassion to say that, it floors me.

So here is the article, I'll see what else I can come up with in the future.


Tribal leader rubbed elbows with elite
BY SHAWN WHITE WOLF - IR Staff Writer - 11/03/03
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2003/11/03/top/a01110303_01.txt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Wetzelbill!

What a wonderful article that is about your grandfather!

To have been such a man!

Thank you for posting this...

K&R

Stories like this one make Memorial Day so very meaningful...

:patriot:

[Wetzelbill]

2. Thank you very much

Peggy. I appreciate it. :)

[goclark]

4. Thanks for your post K and R

[Wetzelbill]

20. yes you're welcome and thanks for replying too

and the K and R.

[roguevalley]

31. that whole generation, they were collosal weren't they? My uncle

Bruce was a great good friend of Wayne Morse and Hubert Humphrey. He knew some of the Kennedy brothers too. what a wonderful life your family has led. Lovely.

My only JFK story was when we visited my grandparents in Portland, Oregon. There was a white haired man there who had never been around little kids and LOVED us. We played games and he dried dishes with my mother, since she tossed him a towel. my grandmother was SCANDALIZED! Don't you know who he is, Dorothy?
No, we didn't.

When we were all sitting on the floor playing monopoly, the phone rang and he was called to it. It was the White House and they were calling him back to Washington, DC because JFK was recalling his team to handle the Cuban Missile Crisis and he was the greatest living western authority on the Soviets. He was sad to leave and we were sad to see him go. It didn't sink in until much later what it was all about but I will NEVER forget my family and parents fear over that crisis.

[Wetzelbill]

33. that is awesome

My uncle was just over at the house, we watched Thirteen Days, the film about the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was telling me stories about his time as a page etc. You know, we're just regular people from a poor Indian reservation. We don't have money or anything like that, but to think that my grandfather sat in the Oval Office with JFK and Bobby..... just blows me away. :)

[monmouth]

3. I haven't read Larry Leamer's book yet but perhaps your family is in there.

Lovely story, thanks. I'm down here in Palm Beach and the Post recently did a wonderful spread on the family (including David's tragic death)...

[Wetzelbill]

9. I never looked

It just depends. My grandfather tends to slip under the radar in most accounts, unless they are specifically talking about Indian policy or Montana. I know he's in the book "JFK IN Montana" quite a bit. Other than that and some books about Indian policy, my grandfather was content to stick around in the background. He never wrote his memoirs either, nor did he travel and make speeches. When he retired, he pretty much retired. He did keep a lot of correspondence up with people, and he and President Clinton wrote back and forth several times.

[monmouth]

17. Lovely story, if I find anything I shall PM you...n/t

[Wetzelbill]

21. thank you that would be great

I appreciate it.

[Frustratedlady]

5. Great story. Thank you for sharing.

[Wetzelbill]

11. glad you liked it

You're welcome.

[hlthe2b]

6. Fascinating Wetzelbill.... Thanks for sharing...

I didn't know your family's history with the Kennedys nor your grandfather's role in the Redskins' logo and design. I know that time changes attitudes, but I will look upon that specific part of the debate a bit differently, knowing.

[Wetzelbill]

7. what's interesting about the logo

Is I break from my grandfather on that. Not necessarily the logo itself, but the name "Redskin" is a racial slur. When I first mentioned my opinion my family members gasped, lol. Nobody ever dared to be on the other side of an issue as my grandfather. This was after he passed away, we personally never talked about it, but it was practically heretical when I first said it. But the fact is, Redskin is a racial slur. It's the exact same thing as if the team was called the N Word. I can't support the team being named that, but the logo, that itself doesn't bother me really. I had one family member say that he respects me even more for saying what I believe in, so it worked out. I am never disrespectful about it, like I'm half the man my grandfather was, but I disagree on that one particular thing.

[MilesColtrane]

15. I agree.

The team should have changed it's name to the Indians, or Warriors, or to something respectful of the native people most American's ancestors treated so shamefully.

[Wetzelbill]

19. yes

I even believe they should get rid of names like that, because they conjure stereotypes etc. Mascots in particular get made fun of by opposing teams and in opposing rallies, that is very denigrating. Now where it gets harder to discern is when you have teams like say the Utes in Utah, or the Florida Seminoles who work specifically with tribes and get their permission for it and are as respectful as possible. It's a fine line, do you keep those? Do you keep those but ban the others? Why? It's not a total black and white issue, for sure. Much of it is clear, like "Redskins", that is flat out offensive, but some of the others have a point. Tough call in those instances.

[MilesColtrane]

26. I've always thought the Redskins were offensive, even back in the early 70's...

...when people usually didn't consider things like that.


But then again, I've always been a Cowboys fan.

;)

[Wetzelbill]

32. oh well you're biased

:P

[mopinko]

50. the illini, chief illiniwick

another long and complicated story.

[Wetzelbill]

53. another one

Thanks for adding that to the mix.

[mopinko]

55. they did try hard to do it right.

but i think their history lost it for them in the end. ncaa said drop the chief, or we'll drop you. they did keep the name illini, since it is the university of illinois. but no more chief.

[Kali]

8. cool!

thanks for sharing!:yourock:

[Wetzelbill]

10. you're welcome

Glad to do so. :)

[stevedeshazer]

12. Awesome story, Bill

Recommended.

[Wetzelbill]

13. Thank you

I would love to get some of my family together and get more info, because it was all before my time and my aunts and uncles know much more than I do. I can share a few things, but they all know the wealth of it.

[Yael]

14. K&R

Thank you for sharing your memories with us.

[Wetzelbill]

22. Rock on, Yael

Thank you very much.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

16. I am so glad your grandfather was able to fight for Native American rights

My Choctaw friends tell horror stories about how their whole culture was virtually wiped out, and how they are still struggling to unite those Choctaw left in Mississippi with those on the reservation in Oklahoma. It is important that the tribes have the ear of the movers and shakers in Washington.

[Wetzelbill]

18. yes and you know it's still happening today

in many forms. Bush for awhile was interested in termination. McCain has been involved in Indian affairs for a long time, but he doesn't seem to know a lot about Indians. His record is mixed in some instances, but horrid in others. He wrote the S.1003, that is forcing Navajo off of their land in Arizona, so that mining companies can come in and take over the resources. It's a modern day Trail of Tears. He's simply an unaccepable choice. McCain has a unique gift for saying one thing and making people believe he's some kind of great guy, while he does some damn awful stuff. Everybody assumes McCain is a fighter for Vets, for example, because he is one. Yet he has a D rating from the nonpartisan Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran's of America, who analyzed 155 Senate votes since 2001 deal with military and veteran's affairs. He's like that with Indian stuff, people think he might be good because he was Chairman of the Indian Affairs committee and represents a state with many tribes in it, but he's not good at all. I'll provide a link for you.

http://www.blackmesais.org/

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

27. Thank you for the link

my sweat lodge friends will be very interested in this.

[Wetzelbill]

30. no problem

Maybe check out a documentary called "Broken Rainbow." It won the Academy Award in the 80s, it goes into the original legislation and hits home on all of these issues in a big way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Rainbow

[KoKo]

23. Many Thanks for this.......n/t

[The Straight Story]

24. Kicking for your grandfather

and for a nice post.

[goclark]

28. Kicking for you and your family history

[elizfeelinggreat]

25. Fascinating.

Thanks for sharing that. What a great legacy.

[Wetzelbill]

34. you're welcome

Thanks for the reply.

[lonestarnot]

29. Most excellent Bill Wetzel!

K & R

[Wetzelbill]

35. thanks for the k&r

I appreciate it. :)

[Gormy Cuss]

36. The anecdote about Teddy speaks volumes about the family.

Their business is politics but it's the "remember everyone who brought us here" variety. That is what made the Kennedys succeed. Tip O'Neill was another polit of the same breed and he's famous for saying that all politics is local. To the end of his career Tip found the time to visit the old haunts of his North Cambridge neighborhood to stay in touch with the issues of the people in his district. The Kennedys maintain a similar tradition, but on the national stage.

Wetzelbill, have you considered sharing your writing on this with Sen. Kennedy's staff? I'm sure it would be appreciated.

[Wetzelbill]

37. I did send some of my other stuff to his staff

Like the essay I reposted last week. I'm going to write a letter here soon and send it out to his senate office. Hopefully, I can get a response, I'll keep everyone posted.

[cynatnite]

38. I've heard countless stories about Teddy Kennedy's compassion...

Thanks for sharing that. :)

[Wetzelbill]

42. yes I have too

I'm amazed that I have such a close connection to one of those stories myself. Blows me away. :) You're welcome.

[FourScore]

39. Beautiful. Thank you so much. n/t

[Wetzelbill]

43. I'm happy you liked it

You're welcome. :)

[Blue_Tires]

40. k+r

[Wetzelbill]

44. Thanks for the support

I see you're firmly behind my candidacy this year. I will promise you this, I will take this fight all the way to the convention! :)

[Blue_Tires]

46. you definitely have my vote after i saw some of your myspace friends!

[Wetzelbill]

47. I have a policy

I request and add any beautiful woman that I see. :)

[pacalo]

41. Thanks for sharing -- I'm in total awe! K&R.

[Wetzelbill]

45. Hey I am too

I can scarcely believe some of it myself. :) You're welcome and thanks for the K&R.

[madfloridian]

48. Great write-up, very special. Thanks for sharing.

:hi:

[Wetzelbill]

49. you're welcome

Glad you liked it! :)

[Wetzelbill]

51. Thank you everybody for replying and Rec' ing

I appreciate it very much. :)

[Dangerously Amused]

52. Sweet.

Gotta K&R.

[Wetzelbill]

54. Thanks DA

I appreciate it. :)

[flygal]

56. K&R from a fellow Montanan

I loved reading about your grandfather. And your uncle has seen so much. I saw Mike Mansfield speak in Missoula in 91 and was so impressed.
Take care.

[flygal]

57. darn - can only kick - past the 24 hour time limit.

[Wetzelbill]

58. thank you for replying

I so wish I could have heard Mansfield speak. Never did. :)

[Dogtown]

59. Very cool, Wetzelbill

You have an interesting family.