His dad is especially proud of him for honoring his heritage int he midst of such a traumatic environment. When Chester finally tells his family about his work during the war, he's hailed as a hero. In 1968, the military declassifies the Navajo code project. After two tragic miscarriages, they end up having four healthy sons. They marry and start their life in Albuquerque. He falls in love with a girl named Ethel. He's a motivated guy, however, and goes on to get his degree form the University of Kansas. Everything seems to have changed for him now, in light of all the violence he witnessed overseas. He's not allowed to tell anybody about his work as a code-talker, and he's suffering from PTSD flashbacks. Expecting to be sent to Iwo Jima next, Chester is surprised when he hear's he's being discharged for the fulfillment of his duty.īack in Checkerboard, Chester struggles to readapt to civilian life.
They go on to serve as code translators at the battles of Bougainville, Peleliu, and Angaur. Immediately they are shipped off to the battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. They are supposed to use their native language to develop an unbreakable code to transmit orders during battles. He's already a trained fighter and wants to keep his homeland safe.Īfter bootcamp, Chester and the other Navajo are recruited for a top secret mission. Proud of his Navajo roots, Chester decides to sign up, along with his friend Roy Begay, for the draft in 1940 after Pearl Harbor. He returns home by the time he's in high school to help his folks who have just lost 700 of their livestock to government confiscation and are struggling financially. When he's old enough, Chester is sent to a boarding school where he learns English. He and his family are Navajo, which means they live in constant conflict with the United States government. Written by people who wish to remain anonymousĬhester grew up in the 1920s in a patch of land in New Mexico called the Checkerboard. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.
These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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