by Chester Nez
We spied the blue-and-white-striped tent from the main road. It sat on the side of a hill, and we approached it on a dirt track through sparse grass. Scattered around were small houses and outbuildings of indeterminate purpose. A lone outhouse, its door lying on the ground, sat near the top of the hill.
I was eighty-eight years old, with my left leg amputated at midcalf. Mike helped me move from the truck into the wheelchair that had become my transport back in March of that year. The two nephews who had arranged the gathering, Raymond and Johnny Gray, greeted us. Inside, chairs and tables filled the circus-sized tent. American flag pennants graced the dais in front, and the U.S. flag popped up everywhere—on people’s clothing, decorating the tables laden with food, arranged in patriotic “bouquets,” and splashed across the napkin ties.
People arrived, singly and in small groups. Older women were dressed in the traditional velvets with squash-blossom necklaces; younger men and women wore jeans and bright shirts; children dressed in jeans and T-shirts.
Four Navajo military men wearing camouflage marched in, carrying the U.S. flag, the New Mexico flag, the Navajo Nation flag, and the black POW/MIA flag. Everyone jumped up from their chairs. I stood, trying not to waver, on my one whole leg, my right arm raised in a salute, while Miss Navajo Nation, Yolanda Jane Charley, sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” in Navajo.
I looked out at the more than one hundred attendees. They arranged this all for me. Sometimes my own celebrity surprised me. People lined up and filed past, shaking my hand and thanking me for my military service.
Various men and women joined me and Mike on the dais. Zonnie Gorman, daughter of deceased code talker Carl Gorman and a fine historian, spoke about our World War II mission. Although Zonnie used English, most who followed her spoke in Navajo, a language I often spoke with my daughter-in-law Rita. My own children were not fluent.
A small army of women and girls served up a sumptuous home-cooked dinner, complete with fry bread, corn pudding, and mutton stew. The more than one hundred guests ate, and each plate was heavily laden. After the meal, mints were passed out in tiny packets adorned with American flags.
Families posed with me for photos, with everyone looking proud. People brought colorful gifts, including a plaque of thanks from Navajo tribal chairman Joe Shirley.
A live band struck up country-western songs outside the tent’s wide entrance. Sudden thunder, a quick shower, and winds that shook the tent dampened no spirits. As the sun reappeared, a small herd of sheep and goats calmly climbed the hill.
Everywhere people laughed and joked. The famous Navajo sense of humor was evident in the frequent laughter and the good-hearted ribbing.
Sitting at the center of the dais, I felt tired but much too excited to think about sleep. I glanced around the room and smiling faces turned toward me.
Someone asked whether I was ready to leave.
I shook my head. “I’d like to stay awhile longer.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Legacy
Recalling the gold medal ceremony and the recognition following it, I can’t help but become reflective.
When I was a little boy growing up, I didn’t know a word of English, and that was one thing I hungered to learn. I wanted to get a good education, have a good job, raise a family.
Life has been better than I could ever have expected. It has been one hundred percent. If I’d stayed on the reservation, that probably wouldn’t have happened. It would have been maybe thirty, forty percent.
I think about how, in my life, cultures have collided—the quiet of Navajo land giving way to military training, the strict order of military training exploding into the chaos of battle. Then a marriage, children dying, the marriage ending.
Somehow I weathered all the challenges, all the transformations of my life, managing to survive, trying to live the Right Way.
But there’s one thing that’s especially good. My fellow code talkers and I have become part of a new oral and written tradition, a Navajo victory, with our culture contributing to our country’s defeat of a wily foe. The story of the code talkers has been told on the Checkerboard and the reservation and recorded in the pages of history books forever. Our story is not one of sorrow, like the Long Walk and the Great Livestock Massacre, but one of triumph.
As of January 2011
My adult son Ray died in May of 2008, and my sister Dora died during the Christmas holidays that same year. Sons Mike and Tyah are the sole survivors of my six children.
A second celebration was held in Chichiltah on Fathers’ Day, June 20, 2010. Three of us code talkers—Thomas Begay, Robert Walley, and myself—were honored. (Robert Walley was the same Robert Walley who’d been my friend at Fort Defiance boarding school.) Navajo tribal chairman Joe Shirley attended. He awarded a plaque and a chief’s blanket to us men. I was the only one of the “original twenty-nine” code talkers attending.
Recently I gave a talk to some kindergartners. I tried to make the little kids understand why we used the Navajo language for our code. They listened really carefully. I hope they got something out of it that they will remember. Maybe they will tell their own children someday.
Now, in 2011, my memoir is being published. I hope my words will help to keep the memory of the code talkers alive.
Despite the midcalf amputation of my left leg in March 2009, and of my right leg in April 2010, both due to complications from diabetes, I continue to do book signings, attend award ceremonies, and give speeches.
I still travel with my medicine bag in my pocket.
It’s been a good life—so far.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks:
Chester wishes to thank his son Mike, who drove him to all of our interviews, his daughter-in-law Rita, who speaks Navajo and helps him keep his language alive, and granddaughter Shawnia, grandsons Michael and Latham, and great-grandson Emery, Shawnia’s son. He hopes that his son Tyah, who lives in Boise, Idaho, will enjoy this book. And many thanks to retired Marine major David Samuel Flores from Berwick, Maine, who helped spread word of the code talkers and who booked several speaking tours for Chester in New England.
Both Chester and I thank Melody and Myke Groves, who cheered us on, especially in the final stretch. I thank Beverly and Lloyd Hoover, who edited an earlier version of this memoir. Unhappily, Beverly will never get to see the finished product. Donn A. Byrnes and Patricia Sutton first told me about Chester. Many, many thanks. I am grateful to fellow writers Lynn Paskind, Phil Jackson, Dr. Sue Brown, Dale Atkinson, Carla Danahey, Bruno Hannemann, Lila Anastas, Keith Pyeatt, and Sherri Burr for their constant friendship, their suggestions and encouragement. Thank you, Dennis Winter, for sending all those great books on Native Americans. My brother, Gary Schiess, and sister, Dr. Nancy Schiess, read Code Talker and gave cogent, kind input. My mother, Angela Garrett Schiess, read and reread this manuscript without complaint, always giving wise counsel. My dad, Charles Schiess, a World War II veteran himself, especially enjoyed Chester’s story. Thanks, Dad. For constant moral support, my thanks go out to my daughter, Krystal Avila Cacicia, and my brothers, Peter Schiess and Ed McLaughlin. And many thanks to SouthWest Writers, a fine organization in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
I send heartfelt thanks to my late husband, Andrew James Avila, who never doubted that my writing efforts would lead to publication. I hope you know that this is happening, Jimmy. You’re my angel, now.
Thanks, too, to our agent, Scott Miller, who sold Code Talker four days after agreeing to represent us. And many thanks to Natalee Rosenstein, our editor at Berkley, who saw the potential in Chester’s story.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The Navajo Language and Customs
When Navajo words are used in this book, the Navajo-English Dictionary by Leon Wall and William Morgan and Navajo Made Easier: A Course in Conversational Navajo by Irvy W. Goossen have provided the spelling.
Some of the names of Chester’s acquaintances are spelled phonetically. There are isolated ca
ses where he wasn’t sure of some names, but we tried to make a stab at them. I apologize for any inaccuracies.
This is the memoir of one man who, in numerous ways, represents many. It is a book about determination, courage, and knowledge. However, although Chester and I have taken great pains to report his experiences accurately, this book does not purport to be the definitive reference for Navajo customs and ceremonials.
That is another book. Surely a Navajo will write it.
Judith Schiess Avila, May 2011
APPENDIX
The Navajo Code Talkers’ Dictionary
This is the final form of the dictionary, revised June 15, 1945, per the Department of the Navy. The Navajo words are spelled phonetically. Courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command.
NOTE:
The thirty-two alternate phonetic Navajo spellings listed below are from Our Fathers, Our Grandfathers, Our Heroes, Circle of Light Navajo Educational Project, pp. 38–55.
I corrected some problems with the month names.
Numerals were transmitted in Navajo, using the Navajo word for each numeral.
VARIOUS MILITARY TERMS
NAMES OF COUNTRIES
NAMES OF AIRCRAFT
NAMES OF SHIPS
NAMES OF MONTHS
VOCABULARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
NONFICTION BOOKS
Aaseng, Nathan. 1992. Navajo Code Talkers: America’s Secret Weapon in World War II. New York: Walker Publishing Company. Excellent insights into Navajo culture.
Bailey, Lynn R. 1998. Bosque Redondo: The Navajo Internment at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, 1863–68. Tucson, Ariz.: Westernlore Press. Pre–code talker Navajo history.
Bradley, James, with Ron Powers. 2000. Flags of Our Fathers. New York: Bantam Books. Not about the code talkers, but a compelling account of the flag raising on Iwo Jima and its aftermath.
Circle of Light Navajo Educational Project. 2004. Our Fathers, Our Grandfathers, Our Heroes . . . The Navajo Code Talkers of World War II, A Photographic Exhibit. Gallup, N. Mex. A wonderful book, put together by Navajo schoolchildren.
Durrett, Deanne. 1998. Unsung Heroes of World War II. New York: Facts on File. A compact book full of interesting facts about the code talkers.
Goossen, Irvy W. 1967. Navajo Made Easier, A Course in Conversational Navajo. Flagstaff, Ariz.: Northland Press. Took some spellings from this volume.
Greenberg, Henry, and Georgia Greenberg. 1984. Carl Gorman’s World. Albuquerque, N. Mex.: University of New Mexico Press. Interesting portrayal of the Native American artist and activist.
Haile, Father Berard, OFM. 1974. A Manual of Navajo Grammar. New York: AMS Press. Father Haile’s research, first published in 1926, provides a graphic example of how difficult Navajo is to learn.
Kawano, Kenji. 1990. Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers. Flagstaff, Ariz.: Northland Publishing. Photographs of code talkers.
Kluckhohn, Clyde, and Dorothea Leighton. 1951. The Navajo. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. A wonderfully detailed book studying Navajo history, everyday life, and ceremonies.
Leckie, Robert. 1957. Helmet for My Pillow. New York: Bantam Books Trade Paperbacks. First-person account of the war on Guadalcanal, New Britain, and Peleliu.
McClain, Sally. 2002. Navajo Weapon, the Navajo Code Talkers. Tucson, Ariz.: Rio Nuevo Publishers. (Originally published in 1994 by Books Beyond Borders.) An exhaustive study of the code talkers and their role in World War II. Beautifully executed.
Messenger, Charles. 1989. Chronological Atlas of World War Two. New York: Macmillan. Detailed information on WWII battles.
Paul, Doris A. 1973. The Navajo Code Talkers. Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Company, Inc. Some good information on the code talker project.
Rogers, Everett M., and Nancy R. Bartlit. 2005. Silent Voices of World War II, When Sons of the Land of Enchantment Met Sons of the Land of the Rising Sun. Santa Fe, N.Mex.: Sunstone Press. New Mexico’s part in the war: development of the atomic bomb, Navajo code talkers, the Japanese internment camp at Santa Fe, the New Mexico National Guard at Bataan.
Santella, Andrew. 2004. We the People: Navajo Code Talkers. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books. A brief accounting of the code talkers with many good photos.
Sledge, E. B. 1981. With the Old Breed. New York: Presidio Press. A great first-person account of the in-the-trenches fighting on Peleliu and Okinawa.
Steinberg, Rafael, and the Editors of Time-Life Books. 1978. Island Fighting, World War II. Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life Books. The war in the Pacific. Great synopses of individual battles.
van der Vat, Dan. 1991. The Pacific Campaign, World War II, The U.S.-Japanese Naval War 1941–1945. New York: Simon & Schuster. World War II Naval details.
Wall, Leon, and William Morgan. 2007. Navajo-English Dictionary. New York: Hippocrene Books. Also used this book for spelling Navajo words.
Ward, Geoffrey C., and Ken Burns. 2007. The War: An Intimate History, 1941–1945. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Personal stories from soldiers and great photographs.
Waters, Frank. 1950. Masked Gods, Navajo and Pueblo Ceremonialism. Chicago: The Swallow Press. Lots of great history, beliefs, ceremonies.
NOVELS/STORIES
Alexie, Sherman. 2000. The Toughest Indian in the World. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. Riveting collection of short stories (not Navajo).
Bruchac, Joseph. 2005. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. New York: Penguin Group. Historical novel with good detail about Navajo life and WWII. York: Penguin Group. Historical novel with good detail about Navajo life and WWII.
La Farge, Oliver. 1937. The Enemy Gods. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Interesting descriptions of Navajo customs.
La Farge, Oliver. 1929. Laughing Boy, A Navajo Love Story. New York: Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin Company. Winner of Pulitzer Prize in 1930.
MEDIA
Websites
AcePilots.com World War II ships
Archives.gov The National Archives
Armchairgeneral.com Battles in the HBO miniseries The Pacific
Blount web.com World War II time line
DestroyersOnline.com The destroyers
Historylearningsite.co.uk History learning site
History.Navy.mil U.S. government website for Naval history and heritage (Navajo code)
Historyplace.com World War II in the Pacific
Ibiblio.org/hyperwar War and tactics
LOC.gov Library of Congress
Marines.mil: Official home of the United States Marine Corps
Military.Discovery.com Military channel website with videos
Militaryhistoryonline.com Webzine of military articles
Navy.mil Official website of the United States Navy
NebraskaStudies.org Website offering historical photos, documents, letters, maps, more
NPS.com National Park Service
Olive-drab.com Military information
Pwencycl.kgbudge.com The Pacific war online encyclopedia
SantaFeNewMexican.com Santa Fe newspaper
Tecom.usmc.mil U.S. government website for Marine history and museums
Thinkquest.org Oracle ThinkQuest Education Foundation
USGovInfo.about.com U.S. government information
USMC.mil U.S. Marine Corps
USMC.mil/unit/2ndmardiv 2d Marine Division
ww2gyrene.org World War II Gyrene, dedicated to the U.S. Marine 1941–1945
www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu Educational website
Magazines and Newspapers
Survey Graphic: Magazine of Social Interpretation 23:6 (June 1934), p. 261.
Chevron, the Marine Corps newspaper in San Diego, May 16, 1942, and July 4, 1942.
Films
500 Nations, a Jack Leustig film, Warner Home Video, 1995.
Band of Brothers, a Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg film, Home Box Office Miniseries, 2002.
Guadalcanal Diary, a Lewis Seiler film, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1943.
The Pacific, a Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman film, Home Box Office Miniseries, 2010.
