Navajo Code Talkers honored

thank you all please be seated thank you very much today America honors 29 Native Americans who in a desperate hour gave their country a service only they could give in war using their native language they relate sacred secret messages that turn the course of battle at home they carried for decades the secret of their own heroism today we give these exceptional rings the recognition they earned so long ago I want to thank the Congress for inviting me here Mr Speaker I want to thank senators Campbell Bingaman and Johnson and congressman Udall for their leadership I want to thank sergeant major McMichael distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen welcome to Washington DC the gentlemen with us John Brown Chester Nez Lloyd Oliver Allendale June and Joe Palmer represented by his son Kermit are the last of the original Navajo code talkers in presenting gold medals to each of them the Congress recognizes their individual service bravely offered and flawlessly performed with silver medals we also honor the dozens more who served later with the same courage and distinction and with all these honors America's pays tribute to the tradition and community that produced such men the great Navajo Nation the paintings and this return to tell of America and its rise as a nation among them are images of the first Europeans to reach the coast and the first Explorer to come upon the Mississippi but before all these firsts on this continent there were the first people they were depicted in the background as if extras in the story get their own presence here in America predates all human record before others arrived the story was theirs alone today we mark a moment of shared history and shared victory we recall a story that all Americans can celebrate and every American should know it is a story of ancient people called to serve in a modern war it is the story of one unbreakable oral code of the Second World War message is traveling by field radio on Iwo Jima and the very language heard across the Colorado Plateau centuries ago above all is the story of young Navajos who brought honor to their nation and victory to their country some of the code talkers were very young like Albert Smith who joined the Marines at 15 in order to enlist he said he I had to advance my age a little bit at least one code talker was overage so he claimed to be younger in order to serve on active duty their value was so great and their order so sensitive that they were closely guarded by war's end some 400 Navajos had served as code talkers 13 were killed in action and their names too are on today's roll of Honor regardless of circumstances regardless of history they came forward to serve America the Navajo code itself provides part of the reason late in his life Albert Smith explained the codeword for America was our mother our mother stood for freedom our religion our ways of life and that's why we went in the code talkers joined 44,000 Native Americans who wore the uniform in World War two more than 12,000 Native Americans fought in World War one thousands more served in Korea Vietnam and served to this very day 24 Native Americans have earned the highest military distinction of all the Medal of Honor including Ernest chillers who is my guest at the White House last week and all these wars and conflicts Native Americans have served with the modesty and strength and quiet valor their tradition has always inspired that tradition found full expression in the code talkers and those absentee and those with us today gentlemen your service inspires the respect and admiration of all Americans and our gratitude is expressed for all time in the medals it is now my honor to present may God bless you all with the four honorable code talkers please come forward ladies and gentlemen please join me now in welcoming and honoring one man who will speak for the code talkers mr. John Brown jr. Yatta it is indeed an honor to be here today before you representing my father distinguished Navajo code talkers only destiny has demand my presence here for we must never forget that these such events are made possible only by the ultimate sacrifice of thousands of American means and a woman who I am a certain or watching us now and yes it is fitting to here in the Capitol Rotunda such a historic place where so many heroes have been honored I'm proud that the now whole code talkers today joined the ranks of these great Americans I'd like to especially thank Senator Ben Minh and all the work that he has given to make this occasion possible to recognize the code talker I enlisted in the Marine Corps 1942 not of a comical talker that came later but to defend the United States of America in the war against the Japanese Emperor my mother was afraid for my safety so my grandfather told her to take one of my shoes place an airhead in it take it to the mountain called tool of the hills and go there every day to pray that I would remain safe maybe she was more successful than she imagined because the Marine Corps soon as the Navajo Marines to develop a secret code using all downwards my comrade and I volunteered to become never already or operator or code talkers or precious and sacred Navajo Tinnell language was bestowed upon us we that no nation by the holy people or land which is older than the Constitution of the United States I am proud that at this point in American history our native language and the cold we developed came to the aid of our country saving American lives and helping to others US Armed Forces to ultimately defeat the M&E after original turning on code talkers there are just five of us that lives today Chester Nez God Oliver Allen tell Joan Joe Palmer and myself we have seen much in our lives we have experience war and peace we know the value of freedom and the Martin see the discrete nation embodies but our experience have also shown us how fragile these things can be and how we must stay every religion to protect them as code talkers as Marines we did our part to protect his value it is my hope that our young people will carry on this honorable tradition as long as the grass shall grow and the waters of flow as a hostile for doneto now be haunted that Nene led Nakata cattorini Jaffe unity was another Nene BAE teeny Joker the his art dig in the nan heart is the fun ontology Bassano grande a chose Edo Komon esna even yok when he don't new cutter de clay mainly Japan is listen mr. president we for original code talkers present this day including the families of my comrades who aren't able to be here with us our honor to be here to receive this award thank you ladies and gentlemen this time I'd like to introduce father Daniel Coughlin who's the chaplain the United States House of Representatives after the prayer we would ask that all would stay seated until the president could greet some of the family and then be able to depart thank you very much and thank you for joining us today chaplain may the great peace accept the deceased members of the code talkers may those living legends still with us keep this story alive may they be blessed in their families may the great sky which covers all and sees all our actions heal us and unite us as one may the wind within us the wind which surrounds everything strengthen the life movement thought and communication of the Navajo people and all in this nation may the blessing way of the Navajo continue to bring peace and unity to their native land the United States of America god Bless America and all her native people amen

Channel: caltso4life

Views: 38,290

Rating: 4.8994198 out of 5

Keywords: George W. Bush, Russell Means, Navajo Code Talkers, Navajo Marine, Battle Of Iwo Jima (Military Conflict), Japan vs ISIS, Pearl Harbor, Soviet Storm, US Army, US Marine, US Navy, US Air Force, National Guard, West Point Military, Reagan funeral, We are Americans, National Emblem, Navajo Athem, Peter MacDonald, President Roosevelt, Louis Farrakhan, Navajo Coal, Navajo people, National Geographic, Iwo Jima (Island), Japans war, Alex Yazzie, 9-11 Terrorist

Id: -aAKWUHqrjs

Length: 19min 41sec (1181 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 25 2014