by Lavinia Kumar
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| The New York Times, October 20, 2024 |
armament ……animal ………...Navajo animal name
bomber……….buzzard ……….jay-sho
fighter plane…hummingbird …da-he-tih-hi
battleship ……whale …………lo-tso
destroyer……..shark…………..ca-lo.
Navajo John Kinsel lived 107 years,
decades since he was Code Talker
the Navajo Code unbreakable, critical
to Iwo Jima Marine victory.
He returned, his wound healing—
to his grandfather who’d happy-cried,
to a welcome ceremony—
returned to the Navajo Nation—
received Purple Heart after 43 years,
Congressional Medal 12 years later.
his memory to inspire generations
his spirit resting in peace.
Lavinia Kumar’s latest book is a reprinting of her short book Beauty. Salon. Art.