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thedrifter
03-19-09, 09:30 AM
A day of celebration for some valued soliders
Wesley G. Hughes, Staff Writer
San Bernardino County Sun
Posted:

SAN MANUEL INDIAN RESERVATION - A couple of honored old soldiers soaked up the glow of admiration Wednesday at a special awards ceremony here for citizen soldiers and their employers, who helped make their missions in Iraq and Afghanistan a little less burdensome.

With their war in the Pacific more than six decades behind them, Navajo Code-Talkers Joe Morris and Nelson Draper Sr. were the darlings of the audience of mostly former and a few active servicemen and women, who applauded them and crowded around to shake their hands.

Draper's left chest was covered with campaign ribbons and decorations telling the story of his military career. It would take another kind of code talker to decipher them all but one looked like the ribbon of a Bronze Star Medal.

Joe Morris was interrupted as he chatted with the press and admirers, so he didn't get a chance to finish telling his age. He said that he recently moved to Southern California from Indian Wells, Ariz.

Draper wore the shoulder patch of the U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Division. The former Marine is 89, his daughter said, and originally from Canyon De Chelly, Ariz., on the Navajo Reservation.

The code talkers and San Manuel veterans were introduced to the crowd in the reservation's Community Center Gym on a hill above the casino by tribal Chairman James Ramos.

Patriot Awards were presented to seven employees of the reservation Gaming Commission who have served on active duty.

The Gaming Commission received the Above and Beyond Award.

The Patriot Award was also presented to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and pledge to uphold the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, which guarantees that members of the military services can get their jobs back when they return from deployment.

A 7 Seals Award was presented to each of the 12 separate departments at the reservation and casino, such as the Fire Department, Human Resources, Public Safety and Information Technology.

Code Talker Draper, a veteran of Iwo Jima, one of bloodiest battles of World War II, is a resident of Barstow. After leaving the Marines, he became a civilian foreman at the U.S. Marine Base in Yermo until his retirement in 1985. His son, Nelson Draper Jr., was born on the Navajo Reservation but his six daughters were born in Barstow.

Ellie