| |
|
|||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No longer top secret
By Lauren Proper PHOENIX — Thomas H. Begay’s shirt blends in with those
of nearly three dozen other Navajo men in gold and orange as they
gaze at a bronze statue of a crouched Marine holding a radio to
his ear. The bright colors signify that more 60 years ago, before their
people had the right to vote, Begay and the others served as Code
Talkers in World War II. “I fought the Japanese with our Navajo language,” said
Begay, who traveled from Albuquerque. “We used our language
as a weapon.” More than 100 people gathered Thursday at Wesley Bolin Memorial
Plaza to dedicate a statue honoring the 400 Navajo whose exploits
are celebrated in Marine Corps legend and the Hollywood film “Windtalkers.”
They developed a code based on their language that the Japanese
were unable to crack. “We did something special,” said Begay, who fought on
Iwo Jima. The 16-foot-tall statue, designed by T. Barnabas Kane & Associates,
a Prescott landscape architecture firm, was built with $100,000
provided by the state and more than $200,000 raised by the Navajo
Code Talker Foundation. Its base carries plaques with Code Talkers’
names and a history of their service. Navajo Code Talkers served in every major battle in the Pacific
from 1942 to 1945. Maj. Howard Connor, a Marine Corps signal officer,
was quoted widely as saying, “Were it not for the Navajos,
the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.” Their efforts went unrecognized for decades because of the value
of their secret code. In 1992, the Pentagon officially recognized
their contributions, and President Bush honored the Code Talkers
in 2001. Maxine Todecheenie came from the Navajo community of Rough Rock
to honor her late father, Frank Carl Todecheenie, tracing his name
from one of the plaques and carrying a frame with pictures of him
as a Marine and at age 80. It was a bittersweet moment, she said,
because her father, who died five years ago, didn’t live to
see it. “I think the recognition should’ve taken place long ago,”
Todecheenie said. Joe Morris, who traveled from Barstow, Calif., reunited with some
fellow Code Talkers he hadn’t seen in decades. He said he was
happy to see their sacrifices honored. “A lot of people didn’t really understand what the Code
Talkers did,” Morris said. “But now that people understand
... I really appreciate it.” A Marine Corps band played several songs, including “Taps,”
and Marines provided a 21-gun salute and color guard. Cpl. Kevin Knight, a 21-year-old Marine from Lima, Ohio, said he
learned about the Code Talkers during boot camp and was excited
to meet them. “There’s a sense of pride. What they did shaped the Marine
Corps and now we have to live up to their expectations,” Knight
said. Before the ceremony, the Code Talkers assembled on the floor of
the House of Representatives, receiving a written greeting from
President Bush. Ben Shelly, vice president of the Navajo Nation, thanked the Code
Talkers for fighting for a country and a culture that wasn’t
their own. “They have made a significant and enduring contribution to the United States,” he said. |
Friday Gallup’s Leap Year baby celebrates 25th birthday |
||
|
| Home | Daily News | Archive | Subscribe | All contents property of the
Gallup Independent.
Any duplication or republication requires consent of the Gallup Independent. Please send the Gallup Independent feedback on this website and the paper in general. Send questions or comments to gallpind@cia-g.com |
|||
