Dawn ‘Dusty’ Napier Recognized as Humboldt Hero

State Farm hosted their monthly Humboldt Hero recognition event.

This month, they honored Navy Veteran and Eureka resident, Dawn ‘Dusty’ Napier.

She is also a member of the Karuk Tribe. She enlisted in the United States Navy in 1974, however she said she enlisted as a Caucasian woman.

“It was my mother’s request. She didn’t think I would get the same opportunity as a Native American woman. Most of my career, that’s who I was. Now I can finally accept and embrace who I was then and who I am now,” said Dusty Napier, Humboldt Hero and Navy Veteran.

Napier served in the Navy for almost twenty years.

Her first duty station was at a naval communication station in Guam where she worked with the American Embassy during the fall of Saigon and the evacuation of the embassy and people of Vietnam to Guam.

Napier also served at telecommunications centers in several locations in California and Hawaii and retired from active service in April 1994 as a Senior Chief Petty Officer.

Napier he was sworn in VFW Department of California State Commander in June 2021 as State Commander, she oversees the Department of California’s 64,662 members.

“Veterans and law enforcement  are similar in so many ways, the things we do and we things we see before our eyes. They’re very deserving and I would like to see them be recognized as a hero here as well,” said Napier.

This is State Farm’s 5th consecutive year honoring local veterans each month.

Scott Hammond State Farm in Eureka is the only State Farm branch hosting this event. However Hammond is planning to extend this event all throughout the county.

“The whole thing has been inspired by my dad Bob who was a World War II veteran in Japan and the Philippines. Id like to get this to the point where we can contribute a bunch of money to local veteran groups. How we get there and how that happens, I don’t know. Right now, this is self sufficient and funded for this level,” said Scott Hammond, agent at State Farm.

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