Reflecting on the service of Native Americans in the United States military, one is likely to picture the embattled Navajo code talkers of World War II, whose decryption-resistant communications stymied the Japanese and proved instrumental in securing key Allied victories in the fight for the Pacific.

A sterling example of Native American warriors’ composure and commitment under pressure, the code talkers’ story is but a small piece of a much larger narrative. Too often forgotten, the depth of sacrifice of all manner of Native American peoples across American history cannot be overstated.

As of now, 140,000 living Native Americans are veterans of the U.S. military—more than 16,000 of them female. This in addition to the 31,000 American Indian and Alaska Native servicemen and women who are currently fighting on behalf of this country abroad.