Honoring the Code
Navajo Code Talkers present colors at DNC

Members of the Navajo Code Talkers Association present the colors at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Democratic National Convention is historic because for the first time, an African American candidate received a major party nomination to run for president of the United States.

The convention was also a first for the Navajo Code Talkers Association. Four members of the association — Keith Little, Frank Chee Willeto, Bill Toledo and Jimmy Begay — brought in the U.S. flag on the opening day of the convention, Monday, in Denver.

Interest was first expressed by the Democratic National Committee to the Navajo Nation Office of the Vice President for the Code Talkers to present the colors about a month ago.

The vice president’s office waited for a response, but the trip did not come together until last week, Sherrick Roanhorse, staff assistant for Vice President Ben Shelly, said.

Both Roanhorse and Shelly accompanied the Code Talkers on the trip.

The participation of the Code Talkers was not an endorsement for a candidate but was done because it was of national interest, Roanhorse said

At a convention filled with famous people, the Code Talkers were celebrities, Roanhorse said.

“It was quite an experience. We’ve never been to one like that before,” Little, who is president of the Navajo Code Talkers Association, said.

“We shook a lot of hands of people we didn’t even know,” Little said. “A lot of conversations, a lot of questions asked.”
Toledo said that he first attended the Indian Market in Santa Fe before being picked up by Shelly in the tribal plane in Albuquerque on Sunday.

“Monday morning, they wanted us to rehearse the flag posting at the convention center,” Toledo said. “When we got through, we went to our hotel and waited for our time to come.”

The time for the Code Talkers to bring in the American flag was at 3 p.m., right after the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean, called the convention to order and Polly Baca, president and CEO of Latin American Research, gave the invocation.

“We were taken care of good. We had a good stay,” Little said.

Toledo agreed that the Code Talkers were treated well.
“We had all these TV people that came around with the cameras and took a shot of us. They interviewed some of the guys. We were really recognized during that time,” Toledo said.

“They just thanked us for what we did in World War II,” he said.

One of those people who thanked them for their service was pop singer Ashlee Simpson, Roanhorse said. The Code Talkers also met Dean and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, he said.

Hotels for the Code Talkers were paid for by the DNC, Roanhorse said.

“They really went out for them,” he said.

About the audience at the convention, Roanhorse said,

“They were happy. They were proud. The people in the audience were proud, especially the older people who grew up in the ’40s.”

Shelly said he and his wife Martha were honored to accompany the Code Talkers to the convention.

“Throughout the country, the Navajo Code Talkers are recognized by many for their service in World War II. In Denver, many leaders and convention delegates from different states walked up to the Code Talkers to personally thank them for their service and commitment to protect the country,” he said.

Shelly said that the Navajo Nation is proud of the Navajo Code Talkers.

“Many of our Code Talkers are leaving us and we must continue to honor them and remember what they fought for, freedom and the protection of Diné Bikeyah (the Navajo Nation),” Shelly said

The Code Talkers and the vice president returned to the Navajo Nation Tuesday.