Navajo Code Talkers Day Remembrance 2020

right about now every year since 2006 our young marines from across the country would be preparing to go to navajo code talker day in window rock arizona and sadly this year we can't attend but instead we want to bring you videos from across the country in appreciation for allowing us to participate in navajo code talker day since 2006. so this particular site as you know is a part of the navajo reservation and it's important for us to give back to them for what all they've done for us in our country and really a small gratitude for us to them is just to clean up their park beautify it and really show them that we care navajo kotaka day is really important because it teaches young marines about the history of how the code talkers contributed not only to america's past but also learning about the role that they played in world war ii and serving this nation one of my favorite activities was the hike we were able to go out with all of the moons we had going up to window rock and just having a good time we ran into some marine corps folks up there and it was just a really good time it's great to see young marines come to places like this so the young marines really get a great dose of you know where we are today and from whence we came because there's been a lot of a lot of price paid for our liberties and freedoms that we serve today and it's good that our young marines understand and know that to me this was the most prideful event that i've ever been to seeing these navajo men that risked their lives for us many years ago be free today it gave me the best feeling being able to be with them and hear their stories [Music] i'm in the wrong place i say i signed up to be ariel gundler in the marine too bad he said you're here he said this is a court tucker school a secret school and the marine corps needs navajo that they're going to learn the code that they're going transmit secret messages in the core and come back area i had the privilege of attending navajo code talker day in 2012. i was able to personally thank and shake the hand of every navajo code talker in attendance while i was there to thank them for their service i was struck by how grateful these men were to be honored and recognized for their service to our country the young marines commitment to attending navajo code talker day and hearing the stories of these incredible men learning about the culture of the navajo nation and finding ways to give back through acts of community service is such an important act we commit to every single year my opportunity to hear about these incredible men their stories and their acts of service to our country is an opportunity i am forever grateful to you i hope you have a good day happy navajo talk today welcome everybody to wind rock thank you for coming [Music] the reason i think navajo talkers day is unique among the events that our program provides is because not only does it give our yam range an opportunity to meet living legends in united states military and marine corps history but it also gives our young marines a chance to interact with a culture that they might not otherwise have had the chance to interact with we still have freedom because of them we won the war because of them and the language the great navajo language thank you for being out here celebrating with us the code talkers true we're war heroes the first navajo code talker that i met was samuel t holliday who actually signed this hat right here and this hat is actually one of my most prized possessions because it reminds me of the navajo code talkers and all that they sacrificed for this country the navajo code talkers not only brought a uniqueness specific to their culture they brought their language intelligence and bravery to fight in world war ii and that is something that i am extremely grateful for and i am extremely grateful that i had the opportunity to meet some of these heroes it was incredible to get to meet and participate in all of the events with the navajo code talkers themselves and their wives and their families my heart was full watching all of our young marines participate and spend time talking to the navajo code talkers and their families i have had so many incredible experiences and have met many outstanding people including many co-talkers and their family members in 2016 i met two sisters valentina and oliviana in the plaza at window rock park they were with their family honoring their ancestors lloyd oliver one of the original 29 navajo code talkers and his brother willard oliver also a navajo code talker i learned a lot about them in their family and found that although we were raised very far apart and in completely different cultures we had a great deal in common [Music] that's a lot more bigger than just the word thank you care for coming out here and giving us that string of hopefulness that america is in your hand right now every one of you and will carry on the marine corps tradition here at the headquarters the young marines there are two significant events we hold in remembrance iwo jima and the navajo code dockers the success of iwo jima in great part due to the service and activities of the navajo code talkers and every young marine that comes to visit our headquarters gets to see these photos and others from our time on the navajo reservation on behalf of a grateful nation and the young marines program we want to thank the code talkers for their service their families for their sacrifices and thank the navajo nation for continuing to honor these great men while we can only be there in spirit this year we look forward to being there with you in person again in 2021

Channel: Young Marines

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Id: XadVvhcu0ZU

Length: 7min 16sec (436 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 14 2020