Navajo Code Talkers:
The Next Generation
Ever since Kayelee Yazzie was 12 years old,
she knew that she wanted to be a communicator in the U.S. Marine Corps. Kayelee
is a Navajo, and a long line of her family members served in the military.
Her father was an airman in Vietnam, her 77-year-old grandfather
served with the Army in Germany during World War II and his
stepbrother was a Marine code talker in Japan during the same war.
''Code talkers are highly respected people in my tribe,'' the 20
year old said. ''I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps and
carry on their legacy.''
Yazzie grew up on a Tohatchi reservation, located in the northwest corner of New
Mexico. During that time, she learned the native language.
''The only time I spoke English was when I was at school,'' she
explained. ''At home, my family spoke only Navajo. The elders of my
tribe taught us the old ways of our heritage. They wanted us to
carry on the Navajo traditions.''
As a child, she talked with her grandfather about his life before
and during his military service.
''He told me he ... was walking home from school one day and a
military recruiter pulled up with a bus and told a bunch of them to
get on,'' she said. ''My grandfather went to his home, packed up
what he could, then left for the Army.''
His stepbrother was recruited after a short amount of time, and went to the
Marine Corps as a code talker.
''My grandfather went to Germany and didn't know where his
stepbrother was sent,'' Yazzie added. ''All anyone really knows is
that he went to Japan and just never came home.''
Her grandfather believes that his stepbrother might have been taken
prisoner, tortured and killed, but his disappearance remains a mystery.
Hearing the stories her grandfather would recount to her, Yazzie developed an
interest in Marine Corps communications. She even learned to
understand ''the code.''
She said it was not difficult because ''it's just the Navajo
language.''
''The code talkers helped the U.S. beat the Japanese because no one
could crack the code,'' Yazzie said. ''It's very hard for someone who
doesn't speak Navajo to learn because it's a difficult language.''
In May 2001, she joined the Marines to become a communicator and is
currently deployed to Iraq for the second time.
Many of her coworkers are impressed with her heritage.
''I think it's so interesting that she is carrying on the tradition
of the code talkers,'' said Gunnery Sgt. Matt L. Hoffer, technical
control chief. ''They had such a huge impact in the Pacific during
World War II, and now Corporal Yazzie is representing a new
generation of Navajos in the Marine Corps.''
Others are interested in understanding more about the Navajos.
''Some people want me to teach them the Navajo language,'' Yazzie
said. ''I'm proud of who I am, and it makes me feel really good when
others want to know more about where I come from.''