A place of their own
Fiscal agent needed for Code Talker’s Museum

A group of Navajo Code Talkers waves to the people along the parade route Aug. 14, 2006, in Window Rock, Ariz. More than 20 of the former soldiers attended the Code Talker Appreciation celebration. [Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent]

By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — The Navajo Code Talkers are worried about their legacy.

With the youngest Code Talker in their late 70s and most of the remaining Code Talkers in their 80s, members of the Navajo Code Talker’s Association are talking more and more about leaving something behind so that people will remember them when the last Code Talker passes on.

The Code Talkers — members of a special Marie Corps unit in World War II that used the Navajo language as a code that was never broken by the Japanese — already have had a mainstream Hollywood movie — “The Windtalkers” — made out of their exploits, and there have been several documentaries and books about them over the years.

But what the Code Talkers want, Frank Chee Willetto said Tuesday, is their own museum.

That’s why Willetto and state officials were at the meeting of the McKinley County Commission asking for their support in their efforts to acquire state funds to build a museum, veterans center and veterans cemetery just east of Tse Bonito.

There was some talk several years ago that a portion of the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock would be used to commemorate the exploits of the Code Talkers.

Although the association was given a room to be their headquarters at the museum, the exhibit never became a reality.

For the past several years, the Gallup Chamber of Commerce has devoted one of the rooms in their building to the Code Talkers, and the association meets there periodically. There was also talk for a time of having the chamber exhibits transferred to the Gallup Cultural Center, but the Code Talkers nixed that, saying they wanted to stay at the chamber.

Jerry Sandoval, who works for the New Mexico Economic Development Division, said there are now efforts to raise millions of dollars to give the Code Talkers their own museum.

The exact location is still up in the air but the Pittsburgh and Midway coal Company has given the Code Talkers 245 acres of land from lands they used for coal mining. This would not only be for the museum, veteran’s center, and cemetery but would also be home to a gas station and convenience store, which would be run by the association to provide funds to maintain the museum and veteran’s center.

He said the group plans to go before the state Legislature in January asking for as much as $1 million for the project, to be used for design and planning.

This is where the McKinley County Commission comes in.
Sandoval explained that the group needed someone to be fiscal agents for the money when it is appropriated because the state would not be able to give it to the Code talkers directly because of anti-donation laws.

County Attorney Doug Decker said that while the county could act as a fiscal agent for the group for planning and design, he didn’t think they could do it for any capital or buildings funds because of the anti-donation laws. It was also pointed out that the group plans to ask Congress and private foundations for money as well but any of these monies can go direct to the Code Talkers Association.

Commissioner Ernest Becenti Jr. said he had no problem working with the association but he wanted to be sure that the group really pushed hard for the veteran’s cemetery because that’s needed here badly.

The commission as a whole was receptive to the request. No action was taken on it Tuesday but it’s expected to come before the commission again, possibly as early as the next meeting.

Sandoval indicated that there was a deadline since the group wants to be able to say that the county has agreed to be fiscal agent for any funds the state decides to provide. If they have no fiscal agent, he said that the state may be reluctant to approve any funds.