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thedrifter
04-21-09, 08:51 AM
Native American Festival to feature Navajo code talker
From Staff Reports
Originally published: April 20. 2009 3:01AM
Last modified: April 19. 2009 11:06PM

Although Samuel T. Holiday's role was pivotal to winning World War II, he was not permitted to talk about it for more than 20 years after the war ended.

Recruited by the Marines because he was Navajo, Holiday's native language was used to create a secret code which the Japanese were never able to decipher. While at Camp Pendleton, Holiday learned the codified language. One of only a handful of code talkers still living, Holiday, 85, will be the keynote speaker at 1 p.m. Saturday at a Native American Festival at the Blount County Public Library. The public is invited to this free festival.

Holiday, who now lives in Arizona, will attend the festival with his wife, his daughter and a granddaughter. The Friends of the Library and the Civic Arts Center are co-sponsoring Holiday's appearance.

Military procession

Because all events will be outdoors, people who attend the festival should bring lawn chairs. In the case of rain, all programs will be held indoors.

At 10:30 a.m., before the festival begins, Holiday invites area veterans as well as active and inactive military service people to meet with him in the Sharon Lawson Room of the library to discuss World War II and other wars and military duty. All veterans and service people are then invited to participate in a procession of veterans and military service people.

The festival will begin at 11:45 a.m. with the procession of veterans and inactive military service people, led by Holiday, Blount County Veterans Affairs/County Service Officer Charlie Staley and other officials.

Following the procession, there will be a Native American ceremony to honor veterans, followed by Holiday's presentation of experiences while he served as a Navajo Code Talker with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Holiday was born in 1924 on the Navajo reservation in Monument Valley, Utah, and spoke only the Navajo language. Although he was able to hide from government officials for several years, he was found when he was 12 years old and sent to a "white man's school" where he was forced to scrub floors and walls if he didn't speak English.

Because he had never before heard the English language, he says he "spent much of the first year scrubbing the wall."

When he was 18, he was recruited into the Marine Corps.
Developed secret code

As one of 280 Marines from the Navajo tribe who saw active combat duty, Holiday served with the 4th Marine Division, 25th Regiment, H&S Company. Originally, there were 29 Navajo Marines who developed the secret code which was used by other Navajo radiomen to pass along information during battles in the Pacific. This code was critical in pushing back the Japanese.

Both a radio man and rifleman, Holiday says that once he was able to send a coded message that "brought about the destruction of an entire Japanese convoy sent to reinforce Japanese forces on Saipan."

Another time, Holiday, one rifleman and one radio man were sent behind Japanese lines to locate a Japanese artillery unit on Iwo Jima that was shelling U.S. soldiers. When the rifleman signaled, Holiday was able to radio their unit of the discovered location. A little later, they were notified that American forces had been able to shell "right on target" and demolish the Japanese unit.
Taken captive twice

Ironically, Holiday was taken captive twice by fellow Americans who mistook him as a Japanese soldier. Americans had been warned that "the Japanese were very sneaky and they were coming in our lines dressed in our uniforms," he recalled.

Having disrobed to bathe in water standing in a shell hole, Holiday was captured and detained until men from his company identified him.

On a second occasion, he was herded to a Japanese prisoner compound, and he says he still bears a bayonet scar on his back from the second incident.

For their services, President George W. Bush awarded Holiday and all code talkers the Congressional Silver Medal, the highest civilian medal the U.S. awards, in April 2000.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan honored Holiday and all Navajo code talkers for their "dedicated service, unique achievement, patriotism, resourcefulness and courage." Aug. 14, 1982, was proclaimed National Navajo Code Talkers Day.

Ellie

http://www.thedailytimes.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=MT&Date=20090420&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=304209984&Ref=AR&maxw=275

Special to The Daily Times

Navajo code talker Samuel T. Holiday will speak at a Native American Festival scheduled Saturday at the Blount County Public Library.


Summary


A Navajo code talker who fought in World War II will tell his story at the Native American Festival Saturday at the Blount County Public Library.





If You Go
The Native American Festival will be held Saturday outdoors at the Blount County Public Library beginning at 11:45 a.m. with a military procession. Navajo Code Talker Samuel T. Holiday will speak at 1 p.m. The public is invited to this free festival.

Schedule of events for the Native American Festival

10:30 a.m. -- Samuel T. Holiday meets and talks with veterans (indoors in the Sharon Lawson Meeting Room)

11:45 a.m. -- Holiday and others lead a procession of veterans and military service people across the pedestrian bridge from College Street through the Blount County Public Library main gallery and outdoors to the library's front lawn.

12:15 p.m. -- Ceremony honoring veterans and service people, with Scott Crisp, master of ceremonies. Following the dance circle ceremony, Holiday and veterans will be seated to the side of the main stage.

12:35 p.m. -- Outdoor Sisters, a Native American women's singing group whose members are Mattie Forester, Lori Strait, Barbara Woods and Loretta Howard.

12:40 p.m. -- Native American guitarist and singer, Jamie Russell (Western Cherokee descent)

12:50 p.m. -- Native American flutist, J.J. Kent (Lakota descent)

1 p.m. -- Samuel T. Holiday, keynote speaker, describes experiences as a WWII Navajo Code Talker.

2:20 p.m. -- Native American Dance Exhibition and Social Dances, led by Southern Echo Drum Group (from Crossville) and Head Drum Keeper, Bert Cox Sr. (Algonquin/Cherokee descent). These activities will be outdoors on the library's front lawn area.

2:20 to 4:30 p.m. -- Native American crafts on exhibit and for sale (on the library's front lawn area)

3:05 p.m. -- Native American singer and guitarist, Jamie Russell

3:20 p.m. -- Native American flutist, J.J. Kent

3:35 p.m. -- Southern Echo drumming, singing and dancing (resumes)