Veterans & fallen Navajo soldier remembered in Birdsprings

Draper addressed the importance of and his love for the Navajo language, telling students in Navajo that he has traveled all four directions teaching the language. His students include non-Navajos as well.

The Code Talker went on to tell students of his enlistment while he was attending Fort Wingate School.

“We were informed that the Japanese were coming and that nobody could sleep,” Draper said.

He went on to explain that many Navajo men were enlisting at that time. Draper said that they were given a description of the duties of each branch of service and were asked which branch they wanted to join.

“My first choice was the Merchant Marines,” Draper admitted.

The Marines was his third choice. Nonetheless, because he’d passed his exams and could speak both Navajo and English, the Marine recruiters selected Draper.

Draper went on to describe his training—one conducted under complete secrecy—in the use of radio equipment and of course “the Code.” Potential Code Talkers were continually warned to tell no one of their training. The men ate and slept in isolation as well.

Most moving was Draper’s memories of his wounding at Iwo Jima. He told of marching for two days and falling asleep in darkness. When he awoke early in the morning at sunrise, he saw a big ocean and a mountain, at the top of the mountain he could see Japanese soldiers—the scenario looked just like a big anthill covered in ants, Draper said.

As his company approached the mountain, they could see the smoke from the great battle.

“A lot of men were killed at Iwo Jima,” Draper said.

He remembers fighting all day long in a very hard battle. His company was forced to fight with bayonettes, something Draper said that he’d never learned to do.

“We fought all day, many of the men I went to boot camp with were killed,” Draper said.

He was also wounded.

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