Van of Valor

By Dr. Kevin Wallace
Van of Valor

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – In the shadow of the San Francisco Peaks, sacred to the Diné people, the story of a local Marine’s sacrifice resonates with a profound weight. 

When the Van of Valor inquired, the 24th Navajo Nation Council responded, providing legacy stretching back generations. 

Sgt. Alecsaiah Tree is one legacy worth preserving. He was awarded a Purple Heart at Camp Pendleton on December 16, 2022, for wounds sustained in the devastating explosion outside Kabul’s airport on August 26, 2021. 

For the Nation, the San Diego ceremony was more than a presentation of a medal, it was a nation honoring a warrior who embodies a legacy of service that stretches back generations.

“As a fellow Purple Heart recipient, my husband understands the complex gravity of that small, heart-shaped medal. It is a permanent, physical reminder of a day where everything changed,” said Lauren Wallace, Van of Valor cofounder and anthropologist. 

Wallace relayed how the mission where Tree was wounded is a sore spot for her combat wounded husband.

“For Sergeant Tree, on that day was in Afghanistan? During the chaotic final hours of the U.S. withdrawal, where he was part of a mission to protect innocent evacuees?” said Wallace. “It’s mind-numbing.”

The Navajo Nation presented Tree with a Navajo Nation Flag. According to Otto Tso, presenting the Nation Flag, “is a symbol of his people’s gratitude for his protection of not only the United States, but the ‘Navajo way of life.’”

“I’ve learned to enjoy the simple things in life, for I’ve been to hell and back to protect innocent men, women, and children who I will never see again,” Tree said. “Not a single day goes by that I wouldn’t sacrifice my life to protect them from the evil in this world.”

This sentiment — a willingness to lay down one’s life for strangers — transcends typical service. It speaks to a deeper calling.

“Sergeant Tree’s service is not an isolated event,” said Wallace, a graduate history student at Harvard University, providing crucial context. Wallace’s great-grandfather was attached to the Chinese Army and worked with Navajo Code Talkers in World War II. 

“It is a thread in the rich tapestry of Navajo military service. In 1942, 13 of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers joined the 1st Marine Division,” she said. “Sergeant Tree was part of that very same division. He wasn’t just serving in the Marines; he was walking in the footsteps of his ancestors who used their language as an unbreakable weapon to defend this nation.”

According to the Navajo Nation, historical lineage is inseparable from Sgt. Tree’s identity. They detailed his clans as follows: he is Kinyaa’aanii (The Towering House Clan), born for Tābaghi (The Water Edge Clan). This introduction grounds him in a system of kinship and responsibility that defines his place in the world. His service is an extension of that responsibility.

Since enlisting in 2013, Tree’s chest is now adorned with the evidence of a dedicated career: not just the Purple Heart, but also a Navy Achievement Medal with Combat ‘C’, a Combat Action Ribbon, and numerous other deployment and service awards. Each one tells a story of time, dedication, and danger.

Tree’s story is one of explosive violence and quiet healing, of individual bravery and ancient cultural legacy. He is a son of Flagstaff, a Marine of the 1st Division, a bearer of the Purple Heart, and a Navajo warrior. 

In honoring him, the Van of Valor also honors all these things, and the enduring spirit of service they represent.

Dr. Kevin Wallace is an Air Force veteran, cofounder of the nonprofit Van of Valor, and a recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with “V” device for valor. He wrote this story in Flagstaff, Arizona. Lauren Wallace, cofounder of Van of Valor, is a practicing anthropologist and a graduate student in history at Harvard University.

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