ᏗᎦᏎᏍᏙᏗ FEATURES
“When we were hit, we lost 30 percent of our platoon to either injury or death,” Wickman said. “Erik took his injuries in stride and accepted that he would not be treated immediately since there were more pressing wounds. Being one of the youngest and newest soldiers, he undauntedly set a great example for his fellow comrades. It was a pleasure serving with a man who cared for his fellow comrades.” The same day as the blast, Fuson overheard medics telling other injured soldiers they would be receiving a Purple Heart for their service to the country. At the time, those discussions were chalked up as small talk among soldiers who were finding their own ways to cope with the explosion. But weeks later during a combat outpost ceremony, Fuson and others injured by the blast received Purple Hearts. Sgt. Rath and Spc. Essary received their Purple Hearts posthumously. “The Cherokees have a long history of a great fighting spirit,” Fuson said. “Being able to serve my country and being able to represent my tribe, I think I was able to proudly continue that tradition in a very honorable way.”
Fuson said. “He’s former infantry as well, so that was kind of cool.” When the tribe needed a new deputy marshal in 2015, Fuson applied and ultimately landed his new career, rising to the top of the candidate list after a rigorous process involving written tests, physical tests, stress tests, interviews, federal paramilitary training and field training. “Veterans have always been an important part of the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. I think our veterans make our communities safer because of their ability to pause in very stressful situations,” Cherokee Nation Marshal Shannon Buhl said. “With Erik, in every stretch of his hiring process, academy training, field training and now as he serves as a deputy marshal, it’s been absolutely without flaw.” Fuson patrols the Cherokee Nation most late nights and early mornings. During his travels across the tribe’s 14-county jurisdiction, he often thinks back to his time in Afghanistan with soldiers like Sgt. Rath and Spc. Essary, whose names are tattooed on Fuson’s right arm as a reminder of their sacrifice. “I love the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. It’s the best job there is, and I couldn’t imagine someone with my skill sets and my experiences having a better The best job there is After his military service, Erik Fuson joined the Cherokee career,” Fuson said. Nation Marshal Service in 2015. Buhl believes Fuson, now three years Fuson returned to the states in into his job with the Marshal Service, will have a successful 2009 and later worked as a detention officer at the Cherokee career in law enforcement for years to come, thanks in part to County Detention Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, for four Fuson’s honorable service in the military. years. “A lot of people say young people don’t have any direction “Working at the jail, I had a chance to see all the different or any morals, and it’s easy to get locked into that when you law enforcement entities that came in there and had a chance watch the news. Then you see a young man like Erik Fuson, to gauge them,” he said. “It always seemed like the Cherokee who puts all that argument to shame because he is doing Nation Marshal Service was top of the line, squared away the right thing, he is moral, he has strong ethics. It gives me and professional. The marshals carried themselves well, and it hope. I believe he and those men and women coming out really impacted me.” of service are the future of the Cherokee Nation Marshal Fuson also had an opportunity to train under Cherokee Service,” Buhl said. Nation Marshal Shannon Buhl. Fuson is one of about a dozen Cherokee Nation deputy “Shannon left a really strong impression on me. He was marshals who served in the military. the kind of guy I wanted to work for – just a really solid guy,”
The Official Cherokee Nation News
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