Honoring Native Vets on Veterans Day

Navajo Code Talkers Memorial in Window Rock, AZ

In October, I stopped at the Navajo Code Talkers Memorial, located next to the Navajo Nation headquarters in Window Rock, AZ

I was traveling with Rev. Darwin & Ann Tsosie, who pastor Red Rock Community (Wesleyan) Church on the Navajo Nation near Jeddito, AZ, and Dale & Stephanie Sommons, members of Calvary Wesleyan Church in Bethlehem, PA.

As you might imagine, it was a very moving experience to read the story and names of the Navajo Code Talkers, young Navajo men (some as young as 15) who developed the only unbreakable code in modern military history and helped defeat the Japanese and bring an end to WWII.

Next to the Code Talker memorial was another memorial to Navajo veterans of all wars, who proudly served and gave their lives for the cause of freedom around the world.

What is especially moving to me on this Veterans Day is the fact that Native Americans have historically had the highest percentage of military service of any ethnic group in the United States.

Thousands of Native American vets have proudly served the country that, at one time, all but eliminated them as a people and attempted to destroy their culture and way of life.

Amazingly, an estimated 20,000 Native Americans served during World War I, at a time when they weren’t even considered to be U.S. citizens! Among them were the Choctaw Indian Code Talkers who aided in the final push against the German army.

Today, on November 11, 2011, while we honor veterans of the United States and Canada who put on the uniform and took up arms in service to their country, let’s especially remember and thank Native American and First Nations veterans who not only gave much, but also overcame much.

– Rich Avery, Director