Window Rock, AZ - Code Talker Memorial

[Riverkilt]

Have been in Window Rock, Arizona for the past four days for training. Window Rock is the capital of the Navajo Nation. Next to the Navajo Nation government offices is a small park below Window Rock itself. Had a chance to stop there briefly this morning.



This is THE "window rock" that the town is named for.



This view shows the code talker memorial statue



Here's a close up of the statue. Kilt is my Arizona tartan kilt.



They also have a nice POW-MIA memorial

For those who may not know the Navajo Code Talkers were young Navajo men who joined the US Marines during War Two and communicated between military units in their basic Dine' Bizzad (Navajo Language) with some slang and twists thrown in. The enemy was unable to break the "code" and their plain language communication was much faster than encoding and decoding messages. They were required to keep their secret for many years after the wars. When they were finally recognized and honored most were getting on in years.

There were other brave young Navajos in War Two who were not code talkers. One I know was a combat engineer who was first in on D-Day and out front all through the hedgerows of France. He's gone now, but I remember his disdain for the honors the code talkers got that he never did. He'd point out that most of the code talkers were safe behind the lines - he was out front on point because the Army thought he had some special powers from his Native American blood.

Anyhow - a small park, in winter, but still has a strong reverence to it.

Semper Fi.

[Bugbear]

Cool, Ron.

[Peter Crowe]

Spectacular photos Ron. I watched the movie about the code talkers with Christian Slater some years ago, a quite remarkable story. The setting for their memorial is magnificent and you look well in your kilt against it.

[KiltedDixon]

Great Pics! That Arizona tartan just belongs in those pics.

[seanachie]

RON:
How come they have to put a fence around the memorial? It would seem that aesthetically the plaque could have been presented much nicer without the fence. I sure hope it has nothing to do with people damaging it.

Thanks

[Riverkilt]

Boy, didn't think about that. My first guess would be to keep the rez dogs from "annointing" the POW-MIA sign.

If you look at the code talker statue you'll see bricks at the base. Each brick has a code talker's name engraved on it. I'm guessing the fence there is to keep folks from walking on the engraved bricks.

[CopperNGold]

Thanks for showing us that, Ron. Beautiful scenery,, a great memorial, and you always seem to have just the right kilt for the occasion.

[gordontaos]

Thanks for the post. It gives me a reason to go and visit Window Rock now.