On Nov. 10 at 11:30 a.m., the Native American Students Association and the Veterans Association came together to honor veterans at Paradise Valley Community College.
Nader Terani, president of Veterans Association and student veteran, addresses students at PVCC Veterans Day celebration.
Nadar Terani, president of the PVCC Veterans Association and former member of the Navy’s elite President’s Honor Guard, welcomed everyone and talked about the featured speaker Navajo code talker Joseph Kellwood and two student speakers and veteran heroes Ricky Imhoff and Rachael Griggs.
NASA adviser Lola Quiroz introduced Kellwood and gave some facts about the Navajo code talkers. Kellwood enlisted in the First Marine Division on Sept. 15, 1942 in Albuquerque, N.M., she said. The Navajo code talkers didn’t obtain a rank above Pfc., but on July 26, 2001, they received the Congressional gold medal.
The 88-year-old Kellwood greeted his audience with a hearty laugh. He told everyone today the Marines celebrated their birthday. He planned to attend a party in the evening at the Veterans of Foreign Wars as the oldest Marine and help cut the cake.
Navajo code talker Joseph Kellwood addresses PVCC students at a Veterans Day celebration.
Kellwood launched into his life story. He lived on the reservation where he helped to herd sheep and chop wood. He became quite emotional as he described leaving the reservation to go off to boarding school. At school, teachers spanked students who spoke their native Navajo language even though they knew no English, but they studied and learned English. Kellwood finished the eighth grade and later decided to enlist in the Marines at the age of 20.
From Albuquerque, N.M., he travelled to Phoenix, Ariz. He intricately described exactly the blocks, streets and landmarks to get to the building where he studied. He endured intense training for three months to learn the codes. He said that security was so strict, they weren’t even allowed to go to the bathroom alone. He worked hard, learned to write fast, completed his training and graduated. Next stop was Los Angeles and then on to Australia. He said they sent you off, and you didn’t know where you were going.
They went to an island on the other side of Guadalcanal and unloaded the nurses, and then they sailed to Melbourne, Australia. He said it’s a good place on the other side of the equator. Over there they don’t look at you as an Indian. They look at you as just another Marine. We never left anyone know what we did as a code talker. It was highly secret.
Navajo code talker Joseph Kellwood speaks at PVCC Veterans Day celebration.
We went to night school down there. We walked in the dark with a compass and found stars, he said.
We found the enemy, Kellwood said, and they’re doing their business and shooting at us. We’re successful, and they retreated.
“We’re doing a great job,” chuckled Kellwood.
Kellwood also said that four-letter words got used that the code talkers never heard or used on the reservation. He sent a four-letter word in a message, and they tried to find out who sent the word, but no one ever told on him, he chuckled.
Puma Press World News editor Miguel Saucedo chats with Navajo code talker Joseph Kellwood.
The Navajo code talkers had to be careful even with the Marines because sometime the Marines mistook the Navajo for Japanese, and they got killed.
“You had to be very careful,” said Kellwood. “Some bad things happen, and you have to live with it.”
After his wartime experiences, Kellwood returned to Phoenix. He obtained a job at ASU and worked in various cities in the surrounding area, and “did 43 years of driving nails.”
He said, I had a good Norwegian wife, who taught the kids to speak English. The kids said we had our own “Navawegian” tribe and I was the chief of the tribe. His son was drafted and went to Vietnam where he lost his leg, and his daughter graduated and became a teacher.
Kellwood closed by saying this is a good Marine celebration today. He rose as did everyone else, and he sang the Marines’ Hymn in Navajo never missing a beat. As the audience cheered, Kellwood said, “Semper Fi.”
The program continued with Terani thanking Kellwood and introducing student veteran and vice president of the Veterans Association Ricky Imhoff.
Student veteran Ricky Imhoff spoke briefly about his three tours of duty in Iraq with the Army.
Imhoff served 10 years in the Army and the Arizona National Guard with a tour of duty in Afghanistan and three tours of duty in Iraq. Injured a couple of years ago by a roadside bomb in Iraq, Imhoff said he returned to the United States to receive medical care here at the Department of Veterans Affairs and to go to school to make something of himself. Imhoff planned to be a soldier to the day that he died, but since he can’t do that, he decided to go to school and do something different.
“The trials and tribulations that Joseph’s generation went through, and the sacrifices they made,” said Imhoff, “made it possible for our generation of soldiers to do what we do, and we are so thankful for everything that you guys went through to keep our freedom what it is. So we really appreciate that.”
Imhoff explained, “As a veteran when we go to war, we don’t do it because we want to fight, we don’t do it because we’re crazy and want to die, we do it because that’s what we do. Somebody needs to do it. We love everybody around us so much that we are willing to lay down our lives for you guys. ”
Difficulties still face Imhoff as he strives to have a great career while making everyone and everything around him better. He still buries friends that he served with over the last 10 years, and although he’s here trying to make a difference, he regrets he can’t be over there with them.
“Veterans Day is a day to celebrate what we’ve accomplished and what the future veterans will accomplish,” says Imhoff. “The freedom that we fight for means everything to us in here.”
Student veteran Rachael Griggs talked about her experience in the Navy.
Last on the agenda, PVCC student and Navy veteran Rachael Griggs gave the audience a woman’s perspective on service in the military with a little education on the importance of water and the Navy uniform. She started boot camp in 2002 and her last day in the military was Aug. 5, 2008 although she still serves in the reserves.
“We have a joke in the Navy,” Griggs said. “Drinking water can cure any ailment.”
During boot camp, Griggs suffered from bronchitis and a persistent cough. She said with the close quarters and the many people, it’s easy to get sick. An officer came to inspect the quarters, and Griggs coughed continually.
The officer asked, What’s your problem recruit?”
Griggs responded, “I’m sick.”
“Drink more water,” answered the officer.
Nader Terani, Ricky Imhoff and Cheryl Moore listen to Rachael Griggs.
In another instance, Griggs got an 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. watch in a coed dorm. Her assignment included keeping males and females on their side of the dorm and making sure that no one got too cozy in the lounge. She says, not to undermine the importance of the watch, but I thought I could have spent my eight hours doing other things. All over the world at any time, someone in the military stands watch. Griggs says, if tomorrow, on Veterans Day, you want to honor someone in the military, think of them and all the sacrifices they make on watch.
Finally, Griggs brought out her white Navy uniform. She explained how wearing the uniform compared to being wrapped in heritage. Sailors rolled up the bell bottom pants so they could scrub the decks or if they fell over board, they used them as a floatation device. The neckerchief doubled as a sweatband or to tie things down. And the floppy thing on the jumper served to keep the grease that sailors used long ago to slick back their long hair off their uniform.
Griggs learned a lot in the Navy from the different branches and agencies in the military to the rank structures. She says, “It taught me a great deal.”
Terani thanked everyone for coming to the celebration.
“It means a lot to us to know that you care, and that you’re here for us,” he said. “The Veterans club has a lot of things coming up like Toys for Tots and Packages from Home. Like Rachael said, someone’s always standing on watch. Thank you for being here.”
Photos by Janice L. Semmel
