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Vets Memorial Fund Raiser Brings Navajo Code Talker to Town
Roy Hawthorne will waive his usual speaking fee in support of the Tribe's planned Veterans' Memorial.
OCTOBER 15, 2002
By Ron Karten
With the memorial going up and money still to
raise, the Cultural Resources department has pre
pared a fundraiser for Friday, November 1 in the
Tribe's new gymnasium.
The current schedule includes a social hour and
silent auction (starting at 5:30 p.m.), a salmon din
ner (6:30 p.m.) and at 7:30 p.m., a presentation by
Navajo Code Talker, Roy Hawthorne. Also under
consideration is a showing of the recent movie,
WindTalkers, Saturday evening, with a minimum
donation. The movie stars Nicolas Cage, about a
soldier who, according to promotional materials,
guards and befriends "a young Navajo trained in
the one war time code never broken by the enemy,
the Navajo Code," during World War II.
In a "personal experience" piece, Hawthorne wrote,
"Baptism by fire was on Okinawa where I went
ashore with the first assault wave of the Seventh
Regiment, Second Battalion... During an assault
on Dakesha Ridge my unit was pinned down for two
days under heavy enemy fire, during which time
the antenna on my radio was shot off. Using a pair
of field wire cutters I succeeded in reconnecting the
damaged antenna, making possible the transmis
sion of messages in Navajo Code calling for artillery
fire and air strikes. This was one of those intense,
heated battles where strong men were psychologi
cally reduced to basket cases and needed to be car
ried off the ridge."
Hawthorne has reportedly waived his usual $4,000
speaking fee in support of the memorial.
Tickets available through the Cultural Re
sources department and the main switchboard in
the Tribal Governance Building are $22,50 for
Veterans, Tribal members and community members.
Contributors from the Oregon Historical Society, the
Art Museum and special friends of the Tribe and
Veteran's groups will receive special invitations re
questing $75 contributions for the evening.
The memorial, originally estimated to cost
$300,000, grew to $360,000 as the plans developed,
according to Steve Bobb, the memorial's designer
and one of it's visionary supporters and fund rais
ers. It is being built now and the dedication is
planned for Memorial Day, 2003.
Veterans' Memorial Fundraiser
Friday, November 1, 2002 at the new Grand Ronde Gymnasium
The Cultural Resources Department is hosting a benefit dinner, silent auction and a pre
sentation by Mr. Roy Hawthorne, a Navajo Code Talker. The highlight of the evening will
be Mr, Hawthorne's presentation on the Code Talking era of World War II, with reminis
cences of actual code talkers. This is surely a night you won't want to miss!
This event will take place in the
Tribe's new gymnasium.
5:30.... social hour and silent auction
6.30.... salmon dinner
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