NATCHEZ &045; Butch McIntosh spent 33 years in the U.S. Air Force. Now, he wants to make other veterans feel good &045; so he and others from an Oklahoma Native American veterans group dance as part of a unique color guard.

The group showed off its talents Saturday at the annual Natchez Powwow at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. They will be back again today to perform and present the colors.

&uot;We want to make our veterans feel good,&uot; McIntosh, who lives in Tulsa, Okla., said. &uot;I just try to dance real hard &045; that’s our whole goal, to make veterans feel good.&uot;

Saturday, the group carried the American flag and the POW flag in their performance.

McIntosh said their dancing carries even greater meaning now as Americans continue to fight in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

&uot;I’m a GI through and through,&uot; McIntosh said. &uot;I say our guys over there are fighting for the right to protest. I say, hate the war but love the warriors.&uot;

The group visiting Natchez this weekend is made up of fancy dancers, a type of Native American dancers, McIntosh said. He is part of another veterans group whose members wear their insignia and medals while dancing.

&uot;We wanted to be fancy dancers,&uot; he said of the group. &uot;We show off the eagle staff and the flag. It makes me feel great.

&uot;I’m proud of our soldiers fighting, but mostly I’m proud of our veterans. It’s because of them that we have freedom.&uot;