YouTube Transcript:
Navajo Code Talkers’ WWII Legacy To Be Immortalized In New Museum

we're looking at a rocky Bluff near the
area of the Navajo call the center of
the world how important is it for you to
get that museum built up there very
important not just to me but to the 400
plus who serve were certified as Navajo
Co talkers there's three of us still
alive we want to see that museum put up
before we are gone
Navajo code talkers young marine
volunteers whose language was invaluable
to the core in World War II each
division had at least 80 Navajo Co
talkers that enemy would not understand
will never understand what in the world
is being planned among them 94-year-old
Peter McDonald who lied about his age
and enlisted at
15 in the thick of the action on island
assault after Island assault the Nava
code talkers radioed back critical
information in their native tongue we
never knew there was such a thing as
tanks or Battleship Cruisers Destroyer
aircraft carrier so we named those
differently than any other thing like a
battleship lots of big fish big fish
aircraft
carrier one that carry birds
around this looks like you in uniform in
your Marine Corps uniform right
ingenious the code unbreakable but was
at first rejected by Marine top brass
comant also said we don't know NE who we
don't know who they
are they may now qualify for to be to be
a marine and we don't want anyone where
now stays Marine Corps uniform that
might embarrass this proud organization
so forget it but after a test he said we
don't understand it either but it
works send us some more navajos navajos
who' been forced to attend strict
boarding schools whose purpose was to
strip them of their Heritage their
Spirit you went to Indian school when
you were small and did they punish you
for speaking your language absolutely I
went to
Shiprock boarding school run by the
Bureau of Indian
Affairs I was 9 years old when I was put
in boarding
school and uh as soon as we enter the
gate they tell us in this compound it's
a fon boarding school you just talk
English you don't speak Navajo if you
speak Navajo you get punish the code
talker success a cruel Paradox Peter's
daughter charity it's very
moving because it has a lot to do with
the
culture what they fought with was our
culture what they fought with was our
language the lore their stories passed
from generation to generation a
tradition still unbroken to understand
who we are why how we have our freedom
Liberty and peace that we all enjoy
that's the future
unbroken unbroken code unbroken future
for the most part their story was not
told for many many years so it's such a
relief you know to know that the legacy
is going to live on this is going to be
the uh the gateway to the nav Koto
Museum ran Hawthorne's father the late
Roy Hawthorne senior was also a code
talker
now this Hero's son is doing everything
he can to make the museum a
reality his chapter might be closed but
taking up that mantle and not just me
but others Our Generation The
Descendants the sons the daughters it's
incumbent upon us to tell the story if
we our generation let this opportunity
slip by without
building that Monument that Museum that
storytelling institution then it'll be
gone last week the museum officially
broke ground with ceremony song and
golden
shovels the Navajo have collected a tiny
fraction of the Museum's projected costs
but Mr McDonald says it is important to
keep the remarkable story alive for the
Navajo Nation and for the rest of us you
know America is a diverse Community we
are made of all different nationality
different language different skills
different talents when it comes to
saving America saving the liberty and
peace that we enjoy we need to use all
those talents that we all possess Harry
Smith NBC News SE Bonito New Mexico
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