American Indians have been part of the U.S. armed forces from colonial times until the present day. During the Native American Wars of the second half of the 19th century, Native men joined the U.S. military as auxiliaries and scouts, often in separate military units; later, they enlisted as regular soldiers in integrated units. During World War I, an estimated 12,000 to 12,500 American Indians served; during World War II, another 44,500 answered the call to arms; 29,700 served during the Korean War; and 42,000 served during the Vietnam War era in Southeast Asia. Significant numbers of Native servicemen (and more lately also servicewomen) served during Gulf War I (August 1990 to August 2011: 21,380) and Gulf War II (September 2001 to September 2012: 17,579). ...