Vets want top honor
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Code Talkers really would like to receive
the highest possible U.S. military combat honor, the Medal of Honor
awarded by Congress, before their dwindling ranks disappear.
This was the most important point made during the annual dinner of
the Navajo Code Talkers Association Saturday afternoon, attended by
about 80 people, including four widows or descendants of the now famous
but secret for a long time U.S. Marine Corps signal corps units from
World War II.
Shortly after the 20th century's biggest conflict began
for the United States in 1941, the Marines recruited young Navajo
men to their signal corps to develop and use a code in the Pacific
Theater that the Imperial Army and Navy of Japan never did figure
out.
Even other Navajos could not decipher the code that was sent and received
by the specially trained Navajos. The code used the Diné words
for a particular type of bird to describe a particular aircraft. Military
equipment on the ground was named after items on the ground. And boats
and ships were named after different types of fish.
Since the U.S. government classified the units as top secret until
1968 almost 25 years after World War II ended the 420 dutiful ex-Marines
kept their mouths shut, even at home.
Serving in all six USMC divisions from 1942-45, they were effective,
fast, precise and proved to be significant factors in winning battles.
The young Navajos sent their messages over combat telephone lines
or radios, but were so good the receivers wrote the messages out in
English for their commanders.
After the battle for the tiny, but strategic, island
of Iwo Jima, Major Howard Conner said, "During the first 48 hours,
I had six Navajo radio networks operating around the clock. In that
period alone, they sent and received over 800 messages without an
error. Were it not for the Navajo Code Talkers, the Marines never
would have taken Iwo Jima."
Richard T. Begay, the veterans affairs staff member for Kelsey Begaye,
represented the president, who could not attend. He said the Navajo
Nation now is working with Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., toward obtaining
the Medal of Honor. The senator has asked for more information and
has his staff researching the situation.
Begay asked the elderly Navajo ex-warriors and their guests how the
senator could introduce a bill to give $20,000 each to Filipinos who
became guerrilla warriors to harass the occupation forces of Japan
while aiding the allies and not do the same for the Navajo warriors
whose skill helped beat back the Japanese soldiers.
The veterans' adviser said the Begaye-McKenzie administration
continues to maintain the Code Talkers deserve America's highest military
combat honor. He said it is awarded for saving lives, and for showing
courage and valor above and beyond the normal call of duty.
"I know you save thousands of lives, not only American and allied,
but of the enemy forces, too," Begay concluded to the audience,
which included about 24 association members wearing red and yellow
military caps and bright yellow shirts bedecked with their division's
insignia, and their medals and ribbons.
Pointing to the thinning ranks less than half of the
420 are still alive, all in their 70s and 80s Begay said that "While
you may walk slow and are not as aggressive as when you were Marines,
we would like to see some monumental award for you."
Some awards have been received and two movies are being
made about them. Begay said the state of New Mexico is ready to rename
its portion of Route 264 the Navajo Code Talkers Highway and the state
of Arizona must be encouraged to do the same.
Another speaker, Jerry Bodie, chairman of the Navajo Nation Council's
Human Services Committee which oversees the Navajo Department of Veteran
Affairs, likened the aging Code Talkers to Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
famous words at the U.S.
Military Academy: "Old soldiers never die. They
just fade away."
"Your ranks are thinning, and it saddens me to see the Navajo
Nation losing a living legacy. Your legacy must be remembered,"
Bodie emphasized. "You have earned that honor in the time-honored
tradition of being Navajo warriors."
He said the Code Talkers are the most respected of Navajo
warriors because they answered when the nation called, forgetting
self.
The Code Talkers turned the tide in the bloodiest battles
in Marine Corps history, the Army veteran said as he rattled off the
chain of Pacific Ocean islands taken back from the Japanese Guadalcanal,
Bougainville, Guam, Tarawa, Saipan, Okinawa and Iwo Jima.
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Gallup man uses Spanish to share history,
poetry
Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer
GALLUP — When Guillermo Corral was a boy, he asked his father
why the history books did not recognize Pancho Villa as a hero. His
father told him that one day the world would see Villa as a Mexican
hero.
In October 1967, Villa finally got this recognition. From that day
forward, Corral said, he decided he would follow his father's advice.
Corral said he realized authors of the history books had lied, so
he began to search for the truth about Villa. "I thought my father
was a fool," he said. "I was the fool."
Years later, 63-year-old Corral continues to explore
the feats of the Mexican folk hero, who is the subject of the cover
story in the December issue of his newspaper, El Sol de Gallup.
First published that month, the new and free tabloid is Gallup's only
newspaper written in Spanish. Corral said much of Gallup's significant
Hispanic population speaks English but may not read it.
The monthly publication is co-authored by 54-year-old Jose Ramon Rodriguez,
who writes sports articles and sells advertising space.
Rodriguez said the newspaper is distributed in schools, hospitals
and stores throughout Gallup.
In addition to historical articles and community news, Corral contributes
poetry that conveys positive messages to the Spanish community.
For example, some of the poet's verses discourage people from drinking
and driving, littering and taking drugs while other jingles promote
literacy and respect for women.
The high opinion Corral has of women is also reflected
in his relationship with his wife of 42 years, Consuelo.
"She's not lucky to have me. I'm lucky to have
her," he said.
Corral, who spends his free hours studying history,
said women are credited with inventing the bow and arrow, agriculture
and clothing all with their children's protection and welfare in mind.
The father of five also holds an associate's degree in history from
a junior college in Durango, Mexico, where he was born and raised.
He has lived in the United States since 1976, holding a variety of
blue-collar jobs along the way to support his family.
His experiences range from working in the kitchen at Fort Bliss in
El Paso, Texas, to eluding the Los Angeles gangs that sought his membership.
After a brief return to Mexico, Corral returned to the
United States in 1962, intending to find work in Globe, Ariz. a town
he had passed though after leaving a job in California where he cooked
for field workers.
But his sister asked for a ride to Gallup and, seeing
on the map that it was on the way to Globe, he agreed.
As fate would have it, Corral's car broke down in Gallup and he has
been here ever since.
His first job was sacking groceries for Don Tanner at the Navajo Shopping
Center. From there, he collected and sorted empty bottles for Coca
Cola Bottling Co. of Gallup and then for the Pepsi-Cola Co., where
he remained for many years.
The people he met in Gallup helped him start his new
life, giving him furniture and even his first TV in 1962. The owner
of the Pepsi-Cola bottling company here, Fred Cavaggia Sr., encouraged
and helped Corral start his own business.
Through the years, Cavaggia helped him buy a car, a
house and finally a business, Corral said. Corral opened Laroc Refrigeration
& Appliance Center in 1967 the same year he became a U.S. citizen.
Because of the tendinitis he suffers, Corral no longer
runs the shop where he repaired and sold new and used appliances,
as well as operated a heating and air-conditioning repair service.
He has since transferred ownership to his son, Silvano
Corral, who holds a bachelor's of business administration from New
Mexico State University.
"I told him, 'The day you show me a diploma from the university
is the day I give you the business,'" Corral said.
The retiree said he is not used to being inactive, which is partly
the reason he decided to start the newspaper.
The other reason, he said, is that he wants to give something back
to all the people who helped him Hispanic and Caucasian when he first
arrived in Gallup.
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Shiprock moves toward RV park
S.J. Ludescher
Staff Writer
SHIPROCK — Shiprock may be one step closer to having a recreational
vehicle park near the San Juan River.
Negotiations were expected to be completed late Friday with a contractor
from Albuquerque on environmental studies at the park site to determine
whether further cleanup of the area is required.
The Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency lobbied the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency for the money to finish the park studies.
If negotiations are completed, work is expected to resume within the
next two weeks and be completed within a two- or three-week period.
But the big question when will residents of the area get that recreational
park they have been hoping for? is still up in the air. If a cleanup
is necessary, say tribal officials, the park could be months if not
years away.
The park project was started as a joint effort between the Navajo
Nation and the Shiprock Economic Development Committee last May. During
excavations for utility lines, the crew stumbled on vials and bottles
still containing liquid and powders, possibly from an old Bureau of
Indian Affairs hospital. Some of the artifacts had labels that dated
back to the early 1940s.
On closer examination, the bottles were found to contain mercury oxide,
a substance used in hospitals to disinfect during that era. The substance
is known to cause skin and eye irritation.
The recreational park site is located just west of the bridge that
crosses the San Juan River near the old BIA hospital. Navajo Nation
EPA Executive Director Derrith Watchman said some community members
speculated the old hospital and residents had used the spot for dumping.
Progress on the park project came to a halt while the Navajo Nation
EPA investigated.
Although the San Francisco office of the U.S. EPA ruled that the data
collected was "inconclusive," the Navajo Nation EPA persuaded
the BIA to hire a contractor for further evaluation.
Part of the delay was based on information received by the EPA that
the site might contain human remains or artifacts left by nomadic
people who used the site as a camp.
According to Watchman, stories about human remains were investigated,
and the information could not be substantiated.
"When we talked to the person who claimed to have knowledge about
the remains, he recanted his story," she said. "We don't
believe nor does Indian Health Service that there (are human remains),
but we are investigating it."
Even though there hasn't been proof of artifacts, an
expert from Navajo Historic Preservation will be on hand when construction
resumes.
Jack Murphy, a consultant for the project, said he expected to find
such small amounts of the mercury that it would not present a health
risk nor endanger the San Juan River.
"There's a monitoring spot just downriver from
this site, and it's never recorded any traces of mercury," he
said.
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3 versions of criminal code in spotlight
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation Council plans to try for the
third time in a year to get a new criminal code for the Navajo Reservation.
The council's Ethics and Rules Committee has approved the initial
agenda for the annual winter session, which will begin Jan. 24. And
it includes the three slightly different versions of a new Navajo
law and order code that were postponed during the fall session in
October.
One of the versions, from the council's Public Safety Committee, is
similar to the edition approved by the council in July and vetoed
by President Kelsey Begaye in early August. In October, the council
ordered the PSC and Judiciary Committees to hold public hearings for
chapter members to testify about the first proposed changes since
the original code's adoption in 1978...
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Laguna students put class lessons to
practical use
Christian Oberholser
Special to the Independent
LAGUNA PUEBLO — Teachers and administrators call
it the "80-10 semester."
But students call it "learning skills you can use later in life."
After 80 days of strong academic classes and electives,
Laguna Middle School students had celebration on their minds as they
completed their 10-day hands-on projects for their first 80-10 semester
of the 1999-2000 school year.
And many of these same students participated in a celebration of a
different kind the next day...
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Vets want top honor
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Code Talkers really would like to receive
the highest possible U.S. military combat honor, the Medal of Honor
awarded by Congress, before their dwindling ranks disappear.
This was the most important point made during the annual dinner of
the Navajo Code Talkers Association Saturday afternoon, attended by
about 80 people, including four widows or descendants of the now famous
but secret for a long time U.S. Marine Corps signal corps units from
World War II.
Shortly after the 20th century's biggest conflict began for the United
States in 1941, the Marines recruited young Navajo men to their signal
corps to develop and use a code in the Pacific Theater that the Imperial
Army and Navy of Japan never did figure out...
| Top |
Gallup falls to Deming in championship
Alan Arthur
Sports Editor
GALLUP — This tournament is hosted by the Gallup Bengals, but
the Deming Wildcats are fast making it their own.
For the second straight year, the Wildcats won the championship of
the Gallup Invitational, capturing the 56th edition of this event
with a 75-63 victory over the Bengals Saturday night at Gallup High
School.
"Every night you step on the floor, you're hoping you come away
with a win and we're really excited about this win," Deming head
coach Tim Pate said. "It makes it extra special to be at the
Gallup tournament and go back-to-back champions..."
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Ganado knocs off Tuba City
GANADO, Ariz. — The Ganado Lady Hornets knocked off Tuba City
45-42 Saturday night in a crucial 3A Enchantment Conference matchup
before a sold-out crowd.
"The whole team played well," Ganado coach Gwyn Grant said.
"The guards stepped it up. We had a big first quarter as we came
out and took it to them with Melissa Jones and Thalia James. We took
care of the ball. After beating Window Rock Tuesday and now Tuba City.
my girls know they can be competitive."
Ganado led 12-4 after the opening period, 26-18 at halftime. After
three periods, the Lady Hornets still led 33-30 before winning by
three, 45-42...
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Kykotsmovi governor seeks senior center
Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent
KYKOTSMOVI, Ariz. — Russell Mockta, who recently won re-election
as governor of the village of Kykotsmovi on the Hopi Reservation,
says he will work diligently to get a senior citizen center for the
community.
Mockta was elected with 59 votes while challenger Margaret Pooyouma
had 32 votes and Lee Thomas finished a distant third with eight votes.
In the race for lieutenant governor, Adeline Seukteoma won with 55
votes against 43 for Terrance Outah...
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Monument Valley stuns Winslow
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
KAYENTA, Ariz. — Monument Valley put a kink to the topsy-turvy
3A Enchantment Region.
Outrebounded and outshot by the taller Bulldogs, the
Mustangs overcame a 10-point deficit with three-point shooting and
free throw shooting to steal a thrilling 53-51 conference win over
conference favorite Winslow Saturday night.
Despite having just one starter back from last year's state runnerup
team, the Winslow Lady Bulldogs completed a season sweep over defending
state champion Monument Valley holding on for a 55-48 conference win
in a rematch of last year's state finals...
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Missionary: Accept both life, death
S.J. Ludescher
Staff Writer
GALLUP — What people think and believe about dying may be so
secret that they don't articulate it to themselves, claims Gallup
missionary-at-large Sister Jose Hobday.
"Talk about dying and talk to yourself about dying," she
told a crowd of 75 people Saturday at Rehoboth McKinley Christian
Hospital.
Hobday has traveled the globe lecturing on the subject of death for
the last 40 years. She is well known for her humorous approach to
a subject that few people find little to laugh about. But, she said,
the death of many of the members of her family has helped her come
to terms with her own mortality...
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Workshop to focus on Diné language
Staff report
TSAILE, Ariz. — "Nihizaad Bee La'hooniil" (Making It
Happen Through Our Language) is the title for the Diné Language
Teachers Association Conference on Saturday, Jan. 22, at Diné
College in Tsaile.
The conference will offer presentations, lectures, and workshops related
to Diné language teaching all in Navajo for teachers involved
in teaching Diné language and culture. Presentations include
methods and materials for early childhood teaching, approaches used
in the primary grades, and curriculum and methods for the upper elementary
and junior high school levels.
The conference will emphasize the practical challenges facing DinÚ
language teachers across the Navajo Nation, from curriculum building
to assessment to effective methodology...
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Winter stories featured at fest
Staff report
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — In the Native American belief, the oral tradition
of storytelling begins as the first snow blankets Mother Earth so
that she may begin her winter rest.
Traditional wintertime stories explain the emergence of native people
and provide insights to historical events. Contemporary storytelling,
woven together with traditional beliefs, teaches about modern ideas
and serves as a reminder of the Native American heritage. Other stories
involve coyote, "the trickster," and are filled with mischief
and fun. All stories provide insight, wisdom and responsibility to
Mother Earth and the natural balance.
Northern Arizona University's Personal and Professional Development
Programs will offer a one-day "funshop" (as opposed to a
workshop) titled "When Snow Falls on the San Francisco Peaks:
Traditional Wintertime Stories and Play" on Feb. 9 as part of
the 14th Annual Flagstaff Winterfest...
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Top |
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