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this book is supported by a generous grant from Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford Under the Eagle SAMUEL HOLIDAY, NAVAJO CODE TALKER Samuel Holiday and Robert S. McPherson UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS NORMAN 2800 Venture Drive Norman, Oklahoma 73069 www.oupress.com This book is supported by a generous grant from Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford Copyright © 2013 by the University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Publishing Division of the University. Manufactured in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the United States Copyright Act—without the prior permission of the University of Oklahoma Press. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, University of Oklahoma Press, 2800 Venture Drive, Norman, Oklahoma 73069 or email [email protected]. ISBN 978-0-8061-4389-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-8061-5101-4 (ebook : mobipocket) ISBN 978-0-8061-5102-1 (ebook : epub) This eBook was converted from the original source file by a third-party vendor. Readers who notice any formatting, textual, or readability issues are encouraged to contact the publisher at [email protected]. To Navajo warriors past, present, and future who have fought for American freedom CONTENTS List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction. Decoding the Past: Origin and Context of Under the Eagle Chapter One. Establishing Beliefs: Birth and Early Years Chapter Two. Diné Language and Control: Boarding School and Enlistment Chapter Three. Training and Protection: Preparation for War Chapter Four. Traditional and Contemporary Combat: First Encounter: Kwajalein Chapter Five. The Hard Edge of Combat: Saipan and Tinian: Protection Made Tangible Chapter Six. The Final Crucible: Iwo Jima: The Code Talkers’ Triumph Chapter Seven. After the War: A Different Kind of Battle Chapter Eight. Recognition and Reconciliation: Samuel and the Code Talkers Association Notes Bibliography Index ILLUSTRATIONS Samuel Holiday displaying World War II medallion Philip Johnston Code Talkers using TBX radio Eagle Rock and Eagle Mesa Betsy Yellow, mother of Samuel Holiday Goulding’s Trading Post Interior of Warren Trading Post Kayenta Hospital Navajo students at Tuba City Boarding School Tom Holiday with sand painting Philip Johnston recruiting on Navajo Reservation Code talkers marching at Camp Pendleton Samuel Holiday’s code talker school graduation picture Naval gunfire Samuel Holiday with traditional song group Invasion beach on Saipan Japanese prisoners of war on Saipan Three code talkers, Saipan Flag raising, Mount Suribachi Enemy position, Iwo Jima Blasted Japanese concrete bunker, Iwo Jima Code talker with SCR-300 radio Samuel Holiday in Monument Valley, 1946 Samuel and Lupita Holiday Kayenta Trading Post, 1950s Enemy Way ceremonial encampment, Monument Valley Fourth Marine Division celebration, Chicago, 1968 Samuel and Lupita Holiday in Hawaii, 1975 Samuel Holiday receiving recognition, Window Rock, 1971 Samuel Holiday with Japanese girl, 2008 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS One of the most enjoyable parts of writing a book is to thank people who have helped along the way. This work is no exception. I express appreciation to Samuel Holiday and Helena Begaii, his daughter, for inviting me to participate in this project. There are relatively few Navajo code talkers remaining who are able and willing to share a part of their life that was difficult and frightening. Samuel is one of those who has a clear memory of events and is willing to talk about them. His son, Herman Holiday, recorded part of this story in the early 1990s and willingly shared this information with me, adding some wonderful detail that did not surface in my interviews. That is not to suggest that Priscilla Parrish from Monument Valley and Lucille Hunt from Blanding did not do an excellent job in subsequent interviews, which Lucille transcribed. Both were highly involved and skilled in presenting the nuanced meaning of the Navajo language in English. Individuals within agencies played a huge role in helping this work come to fruition. Ron Maldonado of the Navajo Nation Historic Preservation Department was instrumental in assisting during the initial stages of the project. He understood that working with a World War II veteran is something that cannot be postponed and so did everything he could to expedite the necessary paperwork for an ethnographic permit. Kent Powell of the Utah State Historical Society and Megan Van Frank with the Utah Humanities Council were just as helpful in providing a grant for translating interviews from Navajo into English. Their timely assistance made it possible for Samuel to share his story in Navajo, the language he is most comfortable with and in which he can be the most accurate. Photographs were another important aspect. Roy Webb, Lorraine Crouse, and Krissy Giacoletto in Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library of the University of Utah, and Doug Misener of the Utah State Historical Society Library were very helpful in providing photographs. A special thanks goes to Nancy K. Whitfield at the U.S. Marine Corps University for her dogged determination to provide photographs of combat in the Pacific and Navajo code talkers. She persisted when others would have hung up the phone. At the University of Oklahoma Press, Associate Director Charles E. Rankin and Acquisitions Editor Alessandra Jacobi Tamulevich made the acceptance and production aspects a rewarding experience. Finally, thanks to family members—especially my wife, Betsy—for their unflagging support of this and other projects. On a wider front, I express appreciation to all Navajo veterans who served when their country called, as have all veterans who understand the individual sacrifice necessary to maintain freedom. Robert S. McPherson Utah State University, Blanding Campus INTRODUCTION DECODING THE PAST Origin and Context of Under the Eagle Samuel Holiday’s living room, in many respects, looked like any one of the dozens of Navajo living rooms I have been in both on and off the reservation. The ubiquitous wood burning stove (dormant now), a few pieces of cedar (juniper) stacked neatly beside it, a small galvanized metal pail with lumps of coal, and a four-bladed ceiling fan kept the temperature comfortable. Two well-used couches and an easy chair clustered around a cluttered recreation center with a television screen in the middle. Above the East-facing door hung a traditional bow and arrow with a woven sash announcing “God Bless Our Home.” The bow and arrow hanging over the door is in keeping with the Navajo belief that the weapon protects against the entrance of evil and is within reach as one goes forth into the outside world of danger. To the Navajo, the East is a place of protection because no evil came from that direction, only Holy People. Thus, sand paintings have an opening to the East, whereas the other sides may be protected by pictures of rainbows, feathers, yé’iis (gods), and other objects that keep evil at bay.1 There was also proof that Samuel had participated in defending against evil. A glass case held a folded American flag, stars out, with five medals— including a Purple Heart—pinned to it. A marine dress sword rested on a rack not far from a Japanese samurai sword, while on a shelf were the carved letters “USMC.” A small bronze statuette of a Navajo code talker rested nearby. On the wall hung a painting of Samuel dressed in the official code talker uniform, first designed in 1973. There is nothing subtle about the uniform’s bright colors, perhaps an ironic statement to compensate for the twenty-three years the activities of these Navajo servicemen remained closed to public knowledge. I have been in few Navajo homes that have not had at least one wall dedicated to family pictures. Usually there are school and graduation photos of children and grandchildren, a few young men and women dressed in military uniform with Old Glory in the background, and perhaps some light-faded images of parents and grandparents from years gone by. Throw in a painting or two and a poster and one can tell what is important to that family. Samuel’s home was much the same, with one exception—the number of pictures. From the living room to the kitchen and into the entryway there were snapshots, formal portraits, certificates of appreciation,