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iwo jima
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An Arizona Memorial Museum Association Publication
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Photo: Cindy Rapadas
The air control tower on Iwo Jima greets visitors to the tiny volcanic island in unexpected English lettering. Many returning US veterans found the Japanese ownership of the island especially ironic.
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A Lifetime on Sulphur Island The costs of the crucial Iwo Jima battle were staggering for both the United States and Japan, but the outcome would help decide a world war.
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World War II Navajo Code Talkers Over 400 Navajo Native Americans served in a top secret Marine Corps communications program in the South Pacific during WWII. Recognition of their special contribution to the war finally came in 2001.
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A Conversation with Kenji Kawano The photographer and honorary Navajo explains why he has devoted his professional life to their cause.
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Navajo Nation Legally recognized by the United States since the Navajo Treaty of 1868, the nation is larger than its physical size in the minds of the people.
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Making it Real The Arizona Memorial Museum Association sponsored a live video conference between Guam, Hawaii, and the Navajo Nation upon Teddy Draper’s return from Iwo Jima.
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Shadow Warrior 60 years after surviving one of the bloodiest battles of WWII, a former Marine returns to Iwo Jima Special Educational Supplement for AMMA members The Forgotten Casualty: War and Guam’s Environment War in the Pacific National Historical Park’s Dwayne Minton details the ecological cost of war and peace in the South Pacific. Cover Photo: USMC 109,634. Iwo Jima. Marines burrow in the volcanic sand on the beach of Iwo Jima, as their comrades unload supplies and equipment from landing vessels despite the heavy rain of artillery fire from enemy positions on Mount Suribachi in the background.
EDIToR Ray Sandla WRITERS Cynthia Rapadas Ray Sandla USMC WWII Commemorative Series Publications National Park Service Publications The Arizona Memorial Museum Association is a non-profit cooperating association of the National Park Service providing funding for interpretive and educational programs at the USS Arizona Memorial, Kalaupapa National Historical Park on Molokai, Hawaii, War in the Pacific National Historical Park on Guam, and American Memorial Park on Saipan. All photos by Ray Sandla unless otherwise credited
Back Cover: Teddy Draper, Sr. receives a Hawaiian thank you from Mid Pacific Institute students after his visit. remembrance is a Quarterly Publication for Members of the Arizona Memorial Museum Association
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Ruth Cope 1916-2005
The funeral notice in the Honolulu Advertiser read in part: “In the summer of 1941, Ruth traveled with several sorority sisters to Honolulu. This young woman with the twinkling eyes and the beautiful smile met a handsome, blue-eyed, Army Air Corps pilot, Bill Cope. It was love at first sight for both, and Ruth told her girlfriends to go back home without her because she thought Bill was going to propose. He did, and they were married at the Hickam Army Air Field Officer’s Club on November 26, 1941. They returned from their honeymoon on the night of December 6th and were reading the morning paper when Pearl Harbor was bombed a mere block away from their apartment. Flying a B-17, Bill became active in many Pacific campaigns while Ruth remained in Hawaii, serving in the Women’s Air Raid Defense. Following World War II, Bill continued his career in the Air Force and Ruth became an enthusiastic and supportive Air Force wife. They had two daughters, Lindy and Candy, both born in California. The happy foursome enjoyed duty stations in Germany, England, and the United States. An incurable optimist, she made every new move an adventure.” The last time I saw Ruth Cope, she was sitting up in bed in a room at the Leeward Integrated Health Services facility in Makaha. She obviously was tired and understandably anxious about her hospice stay, yet she greeted Tom Shaw, President and CEO of AMMA, George Sullivan, Chairman of AMMA's Board of Directors, her husband Bill and me with a warm smile, much like the one in the picture above. She was gracious and charming and tried to make us feel comfortable despite the circumstances. “Bill thinks he’s going to be able to go down to Waikiki and pick up women after I’m gone,” she said, shaking her head as if explaining the bad behavior of a teenager to the vice-principal. Bill started to relate a story about a woman who approached him while he was signing autographs at the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center. “She slipped me a piece of paper with her cruise ship room number on it...said the door would be unlocked for me.” Ruth just looked at her husband of 63 years with a genuinely sympathetic expression. “She must be so desperate,” she sighed. After a short visit, we said our goodbyes to Bill and Ruth and made our way to the door of the small room. I looked back and saw Bill standing by Ruth’s bed. They were holding hands like kids at a high school dance. Ruth Cope passed away on May 13, 2005, and no one who has ever worked or volunteered at the Arizona Memorial, will be missed more. She was a woman of great character, wit, and intelligence and the people who met her are the better for it. Inurnment services were held at the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Crater on Thursday, May 19, 2005. Although I hadn’t really known the Copes outside of their Arizona Memorial activities, I wanted to pay my respects. The service was quiet and dignified, and the assembled family and guests were fairly composed until a lone bugler started to play taps. There is something about the notes of that particular piece that resonate sadness and a certain finality. Even though everyone knew Ruth had lived a great and long life, when her husband Bill reached up and patted the urn containing her ashes, we all started to cry. “Celebration of Life” booklets were handed out to the guests as they arrived at the service. The booklet contained family reflections on Ruth and her life. Granddaughter Hayley Klingenberg, the spirit of Ruth Cope undoubtedly upon her, probably said it best: “I love you....Have fun in heaven.”
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Photo courtesy Bill and Ruth Cope.
“They returned from their honeymoon on the night of December 6th and were reading the morning paper when Pearl Harbor was bombed a mere block away from their apartment.”
Please contact Remembrance with any questions or comments remembrance@hawaii.rr.com 1 Arizona Memorial Place Honolulu, Hawaii 96818
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Shell craters and rubble dot the landscape as the forward lines of the green-clad fourth and fifth division Marines meet in the inland push over the black sand of Iwo Jima. USMC 110,100.
A Lifetime on
Sulphur Island The cost to the United States Marine Corps for capturing the heavily defended Japanese island of Iwo Jima was heavier than any other previous engagement. The cost to Japan was much greater. Text Source: Closing In: Marines in the Seizure of Iwo Jima Colonel Joseph H. Alexander Marines in WWII Commemorative Series 2
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unday, 4 March 1945, marked the end of the second week of the U.S. invasion of Iwo Jima. By this point the assault elements of the 3d, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions were exhausted, their combat efficiency reduced to dangerously low levels. The thrilling sight of the American flag being raised by the 28th Marines on Mount Suribachi had occurred 10 days earlier, a lifetime on "Sulphur Island." The landing forces of the V Amphibious Corps (VAC) had already sustained 13,000 casualties, including 3,000 dead. The "front lines" were a jagged serration across Iwo's fat northern half, still in the middle of the main Japanese defenses. Ahead the going seemed all uphill against a well-disciplined, rarely visible enemy. In the center of the island, the 3d Marine Division units had been up most of the night repelling a small but determined Japanese counterattack which had found the seam between the 21st and 9th Marines. Vicious close combat had cost both sides heavy casualties. The counterattack spoiled the division's preparations for a morning advance. Both regiments made marginal gains against very stiff opposition. r e m e m b r a n c e
To the east the 4th Marine Division had finally captured Hill 382, ending its long exposure in "The Amphitheater," but combat efficiency had fallen to 50 percent. It would drop another five points by nightfall. On this day the 24th Marines, supported by flame tanks, advanced a total of 100 yards, pausing to detonate more than a ton of explosives against enemy cave positions in that sector. The 23d and 25th Marines entered the most difficult terrain yet encountered, broken ground that limited visibility to only a few feet. Along the western flank, the 5th Marine Division had just seized Nishi Ridge and Hill 362-B the previous day, suffering more than 500 casualties. It too had been up most of the night engaging a sizeable force of infiltrators. The Sunday morning attacks lacked coordination, reflecting the division's collective exhaustion. Most rifle companies were at half strength. The net gain for the day, the division reported, was "practically nil." But the battle was beginning to take its toll on the Japanese garrison as well. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi knew his 109th Division had inflicted heavy casualties on the attacking Marines, yet his own losses had been comparable. The American capture of the key hills in the main defense sector the day before deprived him of his invaluable artillery observation sites. His brilliant chief of artillery, Colonel Chosaku Kaido, lay dying. On this date Kuribayashi moved his own command post from the central highlands to a large cave on the northwest coast. The usual blandishments from Imperial General Headquarters in Tokyo reached him by radio that afternoon, but Kuribayashi was in no mood for heroic rhetoric. "Send me air and naval support and I will hold the island,� he signaled. "Without them I cannot hold." That afternoon the fighting men of both sides witnessed a harbinger of Iwo Jima's fate. Through the overcast skies appeared a gigantic silver bomber, the largest aircraft anyone had ever seen. It was the Boeing B-29 Super Fortress "Dinah Might," crippled in a raid over Tokyo, seeking an emergency landing on the island's scruffy main airstrip. As the Americans in the vicinity held their breaths, the big bomber swooped in from the south, landed heavily, clipped a field telephone pole with a wing, and shuddered to a stop less than 50 feet from the bitter end of the strip. Pilot Lieutenant Fred Malo and his 10-man crew were extremely glad to be alive, but they didn't stay long. Every Japanese gunner within range wanted to bag this prize. Mechanics made field repairs within a half hour. Then the 65-ton Super Fortress lumbered aloft through a hail of enemy fire and headed back to its base in Tinian. The Marines cheered. The battle of Iwo Jima would rage on for another 22 days, claiming eleven thousand more American casualties and the lives of virtually the entire Japanese garrison. This was a colossal fight between two well-armed, veteran forces—the biggest and bloodiest battle in the history of the United States Marine Corps. From the 4th of March on, however, the leaders of both sides entertained no doubts as to the ultimate outcome. w r e m e m b r a n c e
Top: This is a section of the beach where Marines stormed ashore on Iwo Jima, as it appeared one day after D-Day. Wreckage of landing craft along the shoreline testifies to the stiff opposition put up by the defending Japanese. USMC 110,252. Above: A lone Marine covers the flank of a patrol. From this vantage point, the enemy had a clear view of the Marines landing on Iwo Jima. Department of Defense, USMC, A419741. Below: Third, Fourth, and Fifth Marine Division patches of WWII.
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Chronology of the Battle of iwo jima
The Cost of War In its 36 days of combat on Iwo Jima, the V Amphibious Corps killed approximately 22,000 Japanese soldiers and sailors. The cost was staggering. The assault units of the corps—Marines and organic Navy personnel—sustained 24,053 casualties, by far the highest single-action losses in Marine Corps history. Of these, a total of 6,140 died. Roughly one Marine or corpsman became a casualty for every three who landed on Iwo Jima. According to a subsequent analysis by military historian Dr. Norman Cooper, "Nearly seven hundred Americans gave their lives for every square mile. For every plot of ground the size of a football field, an average of more than one American and five Japanese were killed and five Americans wounded." The assault infantry units bore the brunt of these losses. Captain William T. Ketcham's Company I, 3d Battalion, 24th Marines, landed on D-day with 133 Marines in the three rifle platoons. Only nine of these men remained when the remnants of the company reembarked on D+35. Captain Frank C. Caldwell reported the loss of 221 men from Company F, 1st Battalion, 26th Marines. At the end, a private first class served as platoon commander for Caldwell's merged first and second platoons. Elsewhere in the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, Captain Tom Fields relinquished command of Company D on the eighth day to replace the battalion executive officer. Rejoining his company at the end of the battle, Fields was sickened to find only 17 of the original 250 men still in the ranks. Company B, 1st Battalion, 28th Marines, went through nine company commanders in the fighting; 12 different Marines served as platoon leader of the second platoon, including two buck privates. Each division, each regiment, reported similar conditions.
The power of the invasion armada in the background stands out in ironic contrast with the scene on the Iwo Jima beachhead. Marines of the Third division, covered with their ponchos, lie on the beach they gave their lives to win. USMC 111,074 4
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1945 15-16 February V Amphibious Corps landing force departs the Marianas for Iwo Jima. 16-18 February Air and surface bombardment of Iwo Jima by Amphibious Support Force (TF 52). 19 February The Fourth and Fifth Marine Divisions land on Iwo Jima, gaining a foothold. 21 February The 21st Marines (VAC Reserve) are committed in the Fourth Division zone. Kamikaze aircraft assault the ships providing support off-shore. 23 February The 28th Marines plant flag on Mt. Suribachi. 25 February The Third Marine Division (less the 21st Marines) is committed to the battle. 27 February Third Division takes Airfield no.2, Hills Peter and 199-OBOE. 2 March Fifth Division takes Hill 362A. 3 March Third Marine Division clears Airfield No. 3. Fifth Marine Division captures Hill 362B. 4 March First B-29s land on Iwo Jima. 6 March 15th Fighter Group, USAAF, arrives. 7 March Third Marine Division captures Hill 362C. 8 March Fourth Division repulses a Japanese night attack. 9 March Third Division patrols reach northeast coast of Iwo Jima. 10 March Fourth Division breaks out to east coast, pinching out a Japanese salient. 11 March Last escort carriers depart, leaving Iwo Jima- based Army fighters responsible for air defense and ground support. 14 March U.S. Navy Military Government proclaimed in the Volcano Islands, marked by official flag raising Marine units commence boarding for departure from Iwo Jima. 16 March Last Japanese resistance in the Third Division area, “Cushman’s Pocket” is crushed. Last opposition ends in the Fourth Division area. 25 March Japanese survivors launch a final desperation early-morning attack against Marine and Army bivouac areas. 26 March The capture and occupation phase of the battle is declared complete at 0800. 7 April In first flights of the U.S. land based fighter aircraft over Japan, 80 P-51’s from Iwo Jima escort B-29’s on bombing mission. 18 April The last U.S. Marines leave Iwo Jima. r e m e m b r a n c e
Battle Maps of Iwo Jima
The Scene of Battle map (top) shows the relative position of the South Pacific islands crucial to the American advance toward Japan. The map directly above shows the main Japanese defenses on the island of Iwo Jima, and the one to the right, the landing beaches and plan of attack. Things did not work out as planned. Map source: Marines in World War II Historical Monograph. Iwo Jima: Amphibious Epic. Lt Col. Whitman S. Bartley, USMC. 1954
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Navajo Code Talkers World War II Top: Private first class Preston Toledo (left) and private first class Frank Toledo, cousins and full blooded Navajos, attached to a Marine Artillery Regiment in the South Pacific relay orders over a field radio in their native tongue. (USMC #57875, National Archives). Below left: South Pacific. Marine Native American uses walky-talky. November 1943. (USMC #64,081; 127-MN-64081, National Archives). Below middle: Navajo Code talkers, Ballarat. July 7, 1943. Corporal Lloyd oliver, a full blooded Navajo, operated a field radio while attached to a Marine artillery regiment in the South Pacific. (USMC # 127-MN-57876). Below far right: Enroute to okinawa in March 1945 are Code Talkers Pfc. Joe Kellwood (l) of Ganado, AZ and Pfc. Alex Williams of Luepp, AZ. With them (middle) is Floyd Saipitty, a Comanche from Lawton, oklahoma. (USMC 129,851).
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over 400 Navajo Native Americans served in a top secret United States Marine Corps communications program in the South Pacific during World War II. Sworn to secrecy about their role in helping to win the war, the Navajo’s would return home with a story they could not tell.
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Text source for the following historical overview: USMC History and Museums Division, Reference Section December, 2001
History The Marine Corps’ Navajo Code Talker Program was established in September 1942 as the result of a recommendation made the previous February by Mr. Philip Johnston to Major General Clayton B. Vogel, USMC, Commanding General, Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet, whose headquarters was at Camp Elliott, California. Mr. Johnston, the son of a missionary to the Navajo tribe, was fluent in the language, having lived among the Navajos for 24 years. He believed that the use by the Marine Corps of Navajo as a code language in voice (radio and wire) transmission could guarantee communications security. Mr. Johnston’s rationale for this belief was that Navajo is an unwritten language and completely unintelligible to anyone except another Navajo and that it is a rich, fluent language for which code words, in Navajo, could be devised for specialized military terms, such as the Navajo word for “turtle” to represent a tank. With the cooperation of four Navajos residing in the Los Angeles area, and another who was already on active naval service in San Diego, Mr. Johnston presented a demonstration of his theory to General Vogel and his staff at Camp Elliott on 28 February 1942. Marine staff officers composed simulated field combat messages which were handed to a Navajo, who then translated it into tribal dialect and transmitted it to another Navajo on the other end of the line. The second Indian then translated it back into perfect English and in the same form which had been provided originally. The demonstration proved entirely successful, and as a result, General Vogel recommended the recruitment into the Marine Corps of at least 200 Navajos for the code talker program. With the Commandant’s approval, recruitment began in May 1942. Each Navajo recruit underwent basic boot camp training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego before assignment to the Field Signal Battalion, Training Center at Camp Pendleton. It should be noted that, at the outset, the entire Navajo code talker project was highly classified and there is no indication that any message traffic in the Navajo language- - while undoubtedly intercepted - - was ever deciphered. Initially, the course at Camp Pendleton consisted of training in basic communications procedures and equipment. At the same time, the 29 Navajos comprising the first group recruited devised Navajo words for military terms which were not part of their language. Alternate terms were provided in the code for letters frequently repeated in the English language. To compound the difficulty of the program, all code talkers had to memorize both the primary and alternate code terms, for while much of the basic material was printed for use in training, the utmost observance of security precautions curtailed the use of the printed material in a combat situation. Once the code talkers completed training in the States, they were sent to the Pacific for assignment to the Marine combat divisions. In May 1943, in response to a request for a report on the subject, the various division commanders reported to the Commandant that excellent results had been achieved to date in the employment of Navajo code talkers in training and combat situations, and that they had performed in a highly commendable fashion. This high degree of praise concerning the Navajos’ performances prevailed throughout the war and came from commanders at all levels. Although recruitment of the Navajos was comparatively slow at the time the program was first established, Marine recruiting teams were sent to the Navajo territory and a central recruitment office r e m e m b r a n c e
was set up at Fort Wingate, New Mexico. By August 1943, a total of 191 Navajos had joined the Marine Corps for this specific program. Estimates have placed the total number of Navajos in the code talker program variously between 37 and 420 individuals. It is known that many more Navajos volunteered to become code talkers than could be accepted; however, an undetermined number of other Navajos served as Marines, in the war, but not as code talkers. The unique achievements of the Navajo Code Talkers constitute a proud chapter in the history of the United States Marine Corps. Their patriotism, resourcefulness, and courage have earned them the gratitude of all Americans. Recognition On July 26, 2001 the first twenty-nine Navajo Code Talkers were presented Gold Congressional Medals by President George W. Bush. Four surviving Code Talkers were in attendance, as well as representatives of the other twenty-five. A portion of the President’s remarks: “Today, America honors 29 Native Americans who, in a desperate hour, gave their country a service only they could give. In war, using their native language, they relayed messages that turned the course of battle. At home, they carried for decades the secret of their heroism. Today, we give these exceptional Marines the recognition they earned so long ago. “The gentlemen with us, John Brown, Chester Nez, Lloyd Oliver, Allen Dale June and Joe Palmer, represented by his son Kermit, are the last of the original Navajo Code Talkers. In presenting gold medals to each of them, the Congress recognizes their individual service, bravely offered and flawlessly performed. “With silver medals, we also honor the dozens more who served later, with the same courage and distinction. And with these honors, America pays tribute to the tradition and community that produced such men, the great Navajo Nation.... “Today we mark a moment of shared history and shared victory. We recall a story that all Americans can celebrate, and every American should know. It is a story of ancient people, called to serve in a modern war. It is the story of one unbreakable oral code of the Second World War, messages traveling by field radio on Iwo Jima in the very language heard across the Colorado plateau centuries ago. “Regardless of circumstances, regardless of history, they came forward to serve America....The Code Talkers joined more than 44,000 Native Americans who wore the uniform in World War II. More than 12,000 Native Americans fought in WWI. Thousands more served in Korea, Vietnam and serve to this very day. “That tradition found full expression in the Code Talkers, in those absent, and those with us today. Gentlemen, your service inspires the respect and admiration of all Americans, and our gratitude is expressed for all time, in the medals it is now my honor to present. “May God bless you all.” John Brown, Jr. spoke for the Code Talkers at the ceremony: "It seems fitting to be here in the Capitol Rotunda, such a historic place, where so many heroes have been honored. I am proud that the Navajo Code Talkers today join the ranks of those great Americans.....We have experienced war and peace; we know the value of freedom and democracy that this great nation embodies. But, our experiences have also shown us how fragile these things can be....As Code Talkers -- as Marines -- we did our part to protect these values. It is my hope that our young people will carry on this honorable tradition as long as the grass shall grow and the rivers flow." w
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Leaving for
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Before leaving the San Diego, California Marine Corps Recruit Depot for combat duty in the South Pacific, the allNavajo Platoon 382, consisting of the famous First TwentyNine Code Talkers, received final inspection. The brief remarks given that day by Base Commanding Officer James L. Underhill stand as a remarkable testament to the qualities of the Navajo men, as well as to the enlightened philosophy of a Marine Corps commanding officer. “This platoon is the first truly all American platoon to pass through this Recruit Depot. It is, in fact, the first all-American platoon to enter the United States Marine Corp. We have had individual members of the Indian nations in the Corps, but never before a group like this one. The rest of us in the Marine Corp are Americans, but our Americanism goes back at most no more than about 300 years. Some of us were born in other countries, the father of others were born elsewhere.
“The rest of us in the Marines Corps are Americans, but our Americanism goes back at most no more than 300 years.... Your ancestors appeared on this continent thousands of years ago....” - Col. James L. Underhill
Navajo Code Talkers of the 3rd Marine Division on Bougainville December, 1943. Front: Pvt. Earl Johnny, Pvt. Kee Etsicitty, Pvt. John V. Goodluck and Pfc. David Jordan. Back: Pvt. Jack C. Morgan, Pvt. George H. Kirk, Pvt. Tom H. Jones and Cpl. Henry Bahe, Jr. (USMC 69,896)
“Your ancestors appeared on this continent thousands of years ago – so long ago that there is no written record of them. Through your ancestors you were Americans long before your fellow Marines were Americans. “Yours has been one of the outstanding platoons in the history of this Recruit Depot and a letter has gone to Washington telling of your excellence. You obey orders like seasoned and disciplined soldiers. You have maintained rugged health. You have been anxious to learn your new duties and you have learned quickly. As a group you have made one of the highest scores on the Rifle Range. “The Marine Corp is proud to have you in its ranks, and I am proud to have been the Commanding officer of the base while you were here. “You are now to be transferred to a combat organization where you will receive further training. When the time comes that you go to battle with the enemy, I know that you will fight like true Navajos, Americans and Marines.” -Col. James L. Underhill, Base Commanding Officer, San Diego, California Marine Corp. Recruit Depot Saturday, June 27, 1942. w
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Warriors
Navajo Code Talkers Photographs by Kenji Kawano Foreword by Carl Gorman, Code Talker Introduction by Benis M Frank, USMC paperback, $19.95 + shipping & handling
Howard Billiman, Jr. Kin yaa’aanii Clan
2nd Marine Division New Zealand Tarawa Saipan Tinian Okinawa
“I was an instructor at Camp Pendleton; a lot of the Navajo boys went through camp there and then went overseas. At Tarawa, we had a hard time...men were getting killed right and left...I was scared.”
Thomas H. Begay Tsi’najinii and Ashiihi Clans 5th Marine Division Hawaii Eniwetok Guam Tinian Saipan Iwo Jima “We were disciplined...I learned to survive combat. The first hour, I was with my radio, communicating with the other floats. I was scared, very scared, mortars and artillery were landing everywhere, but I wasn’t hit. The Iwo Jima sand was ashy and hard to walk on, but I had to carry my radio and other equipment across it. I was sent to replace Pfc. Paul Kinlacheeny, who was killed on the beach. “I was awarded six battle stars during my military career for being in major battles from Iwo Jima to the Korean War. I was never wounded or shot but was missed by inches, and missed being captured by thirty minutes or less. I was very lucky to have gotten through that time. Maybe because I believe in the traditional Navajo ways and felt that the Great Spirit was protecting me. My parents, both very traditional Navajos, had ceremonies for me using clothes that I had worn before I left home to go in the service. These ceremonies protected my well-being, so I could survive.”
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a conversation with
Kenji Kawano the photographer and honorary Navajo explains why he has devoted his professional life to their cause
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he Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, Arizona is a beautiful building set amid eastern Navajoland’s geographic wonders. With a vaulted, open beamed ceiling, unaffected exhibition space, high-tech meeting rooms, and state-of-the-art theater, the Museum represents the aspirations of a complex Native American people. Considered the most successful tribe to survive the United States’ historical attempts at subjugation, displacement, or outright eradication, the Navajo Nation seeks to represent the past, present and future of their culture in the exhibits. Kenji Kawano first visited the Navajo Nation in 1974, coming from his native Japan via Los Angeles. His fascination and love for the people and places of the Navajo Nation are reflected in his photographs. Mr. Kawano’s book, Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers, is his most well-known attempt to document the lives of the famous World War II fighting men of the Navajo tribe. Remembrance talked with Mr. Kawano at the Navajo Nation Museum’s exhibition of his work. Why do you think the Code Talkers are important? When I came to the reservation, I got to live with the Navajo people. When outsiders talked about Native Americans, I heard so many negative things and I was really angry. I thought the Code Talkers were a good subject; I can take pictures, publish a book, and change peoples’ minds about Native Americans because this is a positive thing. About 400 young Navajo went to WWII and spoke their language. They fought against an enemy and became, really, heroes. I really wanted to tell this story to people in America. I finally published the
book [Warriors] in 1990 and many people in America were surprised and happy to find out about the Code Talkers and what they had done. Do you think that by being Japanese you bring something different to your photography of this particular subject? When Japanese people come [to the exhibit] or American people ask, “You are Japanese; your father went to WWII. These are American soldiers, why did you want to do the Code Talker project?” To me, nationality is not very important. I am a photographer. I thought this project was a good project, one that I should do. It really doesn’t matter to me whether I’m Japanese, or American, or British. I think you have to do what you believe is right and use your profession to accomplish your work. When the media comes, they think it is very interesting that I’m Japanese. My father was in the Navy in WWII and was called a “human torpedo.” He came home [after the war] but when the media find out, they say it is a great story (laughing). But to me, it is not very important. Can you talk a little about Teddy Draper, Sr.? The thing that caught my heart was he came back from the war and became a Navajo language teacher. He thought the success of the Navajo language, helping the US throughout the South Pacific in WWII, was very important and that he should teach it to Navajo children. I’ve met so many Code Talkers but only Mr. Draper became a teacher. I’m really proud of him. He wanted to teach young Navajo that by speaking their native language, they could accomplish so many things. w
Above: Kenji Kawano at the Navajo Nation Museum exhibition of his work. Mr. Kawano’s book, Warriors is available online at AMMA’s bookstore. Special signed editions will be available for a limited time. Right: Mr. Kawano in front of his photo of Teddy Draper, Sr. Photos by David Alan.
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NavajoNation Many of the Navajos who served in World War II had never before left the secure confines of the land defined by the Four Sacred Mountains. A brief history of the Navajo Nation may help explain why. Text Source: National Park Service, Canyon de Chelly park brochure
Photos by
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From above left: Monument Valley’s famous profiles have graced Hollywood films since John Ford’s Stagecoach. The Park sits inside the northern border of Navajo tribal lands. Teddy Draper, Sr. at Canyon de Chelly National Monument’s Junction overlook. Mr. Draper indicates the divergent Canyon de Chelly and Canyon del Muerto. The national monument is unique within the National Park system in that Navajo people live and work there, as they have for hundreds of years. Teddy Draper, Jr. is a successful basketball coach and regularly works with Navajo kids on their hoop skills. Mr. Draper is also an painter and jewelry designer of considerable international renown. The White House Ruin trail provides moments of stunning beauty on its two and one half mile round trip to the base of the canyon where a thousand year old pueblo can be seen. The 60th Anniversary of the WWII Battles for Saipan and Tinian medal was given to Teddy Draper, Sr. on his visit to the islands in June of 2004. r e m e m b r a n c e
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t is believed that the land between Blanca Peak or Sisnajiini, in Colorado, Mount Taylor or Tsodzil, in New Mexico, the San Francisco Peaks or Dook’oosliid in Arizona and Hesperus Peak or DibeNaistaa in Colorado is an area made for the Navajo people, Dine’. The land gave all the people who lived here a sense of belonging and a sense of identity. Several developing cultures discovered that their territories overlapped, and they began to compete for the available resources. As neighbors they would trade valuable items and as enemies they would rob each other. When communities were prosperous everybody traded and shared generously. Lean times brought out the hunger in everyone, in desperation people robbed their neighbors, invaded other communities for what they needed and took what they did not have. These desperate measures left the victims angry with a desire for vengeance. The 1700s was a time for groups to create alliances against a common enemy, which frequently changed. Raiding and fortification became part of daily life. Raids occurred for livestock, food, supplies, and even Navajo slaves. The Navajos became tenacious about defending their homeland....As the conflicts and foreigners trespassed into Dine’bikeyah the Navajos gained momentum in the fight and became fierce in protecting their homes and families and to bring back those taken into slavery. The Navajos were feared and even hated for the continued invasions of the surrounding r e m e m b r a n c e
communities. Canyon de Chelly or Tsegi, was a focal point for enemies to scout Navajos. It was considered the refuge and fortress of the area. In 1846 the coming of the American, Biligana, settlers added to the ongoing conflict. By 1861 Americans felt it was their right to seize land or anything else owned by Indians. For a while the Americans tolerated the constant battles, but eventually they could no longer endure the fear and insecurity. The US Army was called upon to help with the “Indian Problem.” By 1849 New Mexico territorial government found it necessary to call the US Army to subdue the Navajos. Colonel James Carleton was ordered to lead the campaign against the Navajos. He firmly believed that be removing the people far from their homeland to an isolated and confined area the Navajos would forget their heritage and become acculturated to being American. Once the Navajos were assimilated, they would be moved on to Oklahoma Indian Territory. This “experiment reservation” was forty miles square and located on the Pecos River in eastern New Mexico, named by Carleton as Fort Sumner. This was far beyond the protection of the Four Sacred Mountains. Carleton was able to convince Colonel Christopher “Kit” Carson to join in the subjugation of the Navajo people. In the fall of 1863 Carson led what he called the “scorched earth campaign” against the Navajos on their homeland, including Canyon de Chelly. It was the time of great fear. Everything considered Navajo
property was burned....In Canyon de Chelly the precious peach orchards originally planted by the Hopi and cherished by the Navajo were also destroyed by the fire. In the spring of 1864 thousands of Navajos had surrendered to the US Army and were gathered and held at Fort Defiance. The Navajos would have to walk the entire distance of nearly four hundred miles to Fort Sumner. The Navajos were imprisoned for four years at Fort Sumner or Bosque Redondo or Hweeldi’, as the Navajos know it. During those years the Navajos longed to return to their homes and their traditional way of life. They endured the sufferings of hunger, loneliness, dysentery, death, severe weather conditions, homelessness, and new and unknown diseases. Even the soldiers began to recognize that the Navajos were suffering greatly and believed it was wrong. Word eventually got to Washington officials that conditions were deplorable for the Navajos held in captivity. On the morning of June 1, 1868 the Navajo Treaty was signed between the United States and the Navajo people. The Navajos were allowed to return to the defined Navajo Reservation, land held in trust by the United States for the Navajo people. The condition issued was that the Navajo must never commence raiding again. Navajos, Dine’, are here today because our ancestors endured and came home for us. We have our hogans, we have our language, we have our land, we have our songs, because they came home. w
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In live encounters and through AMMA’s video conference program, Teddy Draper, Sr., his son Teddy, and Navajo National Park Service Ranger William Yazzie gave students across the country a rare opportunity to learn first-hand about Native American culture and the War in the Pacific by Cindy Rapadas
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y career with the Arizona Memorial Museum Association started in May 2001. The bookstore at the War in the Pacific National Historical Park was my domain and as I poured through the books and watched the videos, I became more and more interested in the Navajo Code Talkers. During the Second World War, a group of young Navajo men were recruited from some of the most inaccessible regions of the United States and given a critical role in the brutal battle against the Japanese in the Pacific. The men themselves were unassuming heroes, their stories, fascinating. The 60th Anniversary of the Battles for Saipan and Tinian set the stage for my first meeting with a Code Talker. During a planning meeting for a seminar series, someone suggested that we extend an invitation to a member of the Navajo Code Talker Association. I was thrilled and immediately made the call to the Association. Teddy Draper, Sr. accepted and along with National Park Service Ranger William Yazzie, made the journey back to the island he remembered 60 years ago. While he spoke of Saipan and his experiences during that particular battle, the events on Iwo Jima were clearly more intense. On Iwo Jima he participated in one of the most horrific battles in World War II and survived. His was the story we wanted to share with others as he had shared it with us. It
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was our hope that we would find a way to bring Teddy’s experiences back to the children of the Navajo Nation and other schools, seeing this as a rare opportunity to listen to history from a man who lived it. In order to fully understand Teddy’s experiences we invited him to Iwo Jima for the 60th Anniversary of the battle. We requested that he allow us to follow him to document his journey, and to assist him in sharing his story. Video teleconferencing, we knew, would be impossible from Iwo Jima, but feasible from a conference room on Guam after the trip. For the many schools and school children who could not participate in the video teleconference, we would provide a live web cast of the conference and ultimately, a documentary. Thus began the ground work. 5
As schools began expressing interest in participating, certain challenges became more evident:
w The time difference. Guam is situated west of the international datew
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line and is 20 hours ahead of Hawaii. Connecting to schools east of the Rocky Mountains presented even more of a challenge. Video conferencing on the reservation. The hardware and expertise necessary to produce a video conference was available. OnSat Native American Services, a private company that provides broadband and other high-technology services to the Navajo Nation, was instrumental in helping to organize the conference. However, due to the limited number of sites with this technology, coordinating the transportation of students over the vast areas of Arizona became problematic. A multitude of video conferencing protocols. As we were to learn, there is no one standard way to let people distant from each other interact. For the uninitiated, the array of codes, procedures and acronyms is daunting. Through the combined efforts of Tom Donahoe at MidPacific, Patrick O’Keefe on Guam, and Lynette Willie in the Navajo Nation, a patchwork of tenuous connections was established.
6 1: Teddy Draper Junior and Senior pose with sixth graders from MidPacific Institute. 2: Teddy Draper, Jr. always wondered what his father and his uncles did in WWII. When the secret of the Code Talkers was finally revealed to the world in the 1970’s, the younger Draper couldn’t believe it at first. “I’m very proud of my Dad,” he told the class.
MidPacific Institute's 6th grade class in Honolulu, Hawaii was studying World War II in the Pacific and the subject of the Navajo Code Talkers was part of their classroom discussion. When the opportunity to speak with a Code Talker became a possibility, they eagerly agreed to participate. Since Mr. Draper, his son, and Wlliam Yazzie would be flying
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3,4,5: The children were excited and curious about the stories the three men from Chinle, Arizona told. 6: William Yazzie has been invited all over the world to sing Navajo songs and describe the Navajo way of life. Photos: Cindy Rapadas
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1: The picturesque village of Umatac, Guam. F.Q. Sanchez Elementary School hosted the Navajo visit there a few days before Teddy Draper’s trip to Iwo Jima. 2: Chamorro schoolchildren of Umatac, Guam 3: With the dulcet melody of Hafa Adai in the background, shy schoolchildren shake hands with Teddy Draper, Sr. 4: Teddy Draper, Sr. was stationed on Guam during WWII and enjoyed meeting the children of people he had helped to liberate. Photos 2,3,4: Daniel Martinez. 1
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through Hawaii on their way to Guam anyway, they agreed to pay a visit to teacher Lisa Mah’s classroom. The stop was a big success for the class. As Pua Ka’ai, MidPacific’s middle school principal said after the visit, “The goal of every history teacher is to make history come alive for their students, Mr. Draper's visit left an incredible impact on our students that could never be duplicated through history books or maps.” Ms. Mah added, “Mr. Draper's vivid accounts of his experiences as a Navajo Code Talker at times made us chuckle and at other times, brought tears to our eyes -- all of which gifted our students with a unique perspective of the Battle of Iwo Jima and from the looks on their faces, one they will never forget. We are forever honored by Mr. Draper’s willingness to share his stories and are looking forward to meeting again through our video conference to hear about his return to the Island." On Guam, there is an ancient fishing village on the southwestern coast called Umatac. It is said Ferdinand Megellan first encountered the Chamorro people here and, amazed at the number of sailing vessels that greeted him, named the islands Ilas de las Velas Latinas, Islands of the Lateen Sails. Umatac’s F.Q. Sanchez Elementary School was approached by AMMA special projects coordinator on Guam Anita Cruz to host the Navajo visitors. The school graciously and enthusiastically agreed. Standing in front of an enormous welcoming sign, the Navajos enlightened and entertained the young students. In return, the children sang the Hafa Adai (welcome) song and lined up to shake hands with the visitors. Advisor Dean Sanchez said, “Thank you gentlemen for being here today. It’s not often that we get someone from our past to share with us what they have done for the future of these young kids.... It fills me with joy knowing you have taken part in the history of our people. We will remind the schoolkids on a timely basis who you were and how much you meant to us.” After several test runs initiated by the U.S. Attorney's Office on Guam (who graciously volunteered their staff, conference room and equipment) connections were more firmly established. MidPacific Institute was ready to go, as was Prairie Wind Middle School in Minnesota, a late but welcome addition to the video conference. On the Navajo Nation, Diné College, the first college established by Native Americans for Native Americans, is located over 2 hours away from Window Rock, the capitol of the Navajo Nation. But their enthusiasm and flexibility ensured their successful participation. Once the logistics were complete, we concentrated on Teddy's visit back to Iwo Jima.
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The US Attorney’s office on Guam donated the use of its video conferencing facilities as well as the invaluable assistance of Systems Manager Patrick o’Keefe. Here, Teddy Draper, Sr. speaks to participants from Diné College in Arizona. The magic of an ancient language being transmitted halfway around the world was lost on no one. Photo: Daniel Martinez.
The trip was an emotional one for Teddy and the close to 70 other veterans who chose to travel back to this battle site after 60 years. Walking along the invasion beaches, Teddy quietly remembered the intense battles. He spoke little about the details and I was worried that this trip may have been too emotional for him. The video conference was held on the Tuesday following the trip back to Iwo Jima. At dawn, we drove Teddy Sr., Teddy Jr., and William Yazzie to the site. The car was strangely quiet. None of us knew what to expect. Daniel Martinez, historian for the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, provided a basic history of the Navajo code Talkers, speaking eloquently of their contributions to the United States effort in World War II. Lynette Willie, Media Director with OnSat Native American Services gave a short introduction to the Diné College class and Lisa Ontai of the public relations firm Ontai-LaGrange, who was very instrumental in the organizational effort in Honolulu, was present with MidPacific Institute students. Then Teddy began his presentation. In English, he slowly spoke of the fear he remembered. He spoke simply of r e m e m b r a n c e
running down to the invasion beach to retrieve communication wires while bullets whizzed by him. Staring at the video screen, Teddy looked at the young adults at Dine College. He began to speak in his native tongue with emotion none of us had ever heard. He broke down several times and while we weren't able to understand him, we knew this remembering was painful. Sometime during the conference, Teddy Jr. leaned over and whispered that this would be the beginning of true healing. Everyone in the room, as well as everyone watching the video conference, felt humbled. I remember fondly the months leading up to this event and the many people involved who assisted in making it possible. Special thanks to my colleague and the editor of this publication for keeping me grounded whenever I came up with another wild idea. I am most especially honored to have worked with Teddy Draper, Sr., Navajo Code Talker and World War II hero. w For more information and a full account of the video teleconference, log on to www.returntoiwo. s p r i n g / s u m m e r
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arch 11 on Guam was a tumultuous jumble of logistics and identification. Approximately 400 people, scheduled to fly to Iwo Jima the next day, lined up to secure their airline boarding passes and last minute instructions. Three large easels set up in the lobby of the Outrigger Hotel held huge pads of paper lined with the names and numbers of travelers, providing those listed with a somewhat sobering confirmation that Continental Airlines would be flying to Iwo Jima early the next morning. The week before the flight had been taken up with receptions, tours of Guam, and a general convivial mingling of guests. As the big day approached however, the veterans in particular seemed to become more thoughtful; preoccupied with thoughts of what had happened on a small volcanic island 60 years earlier. WWII veterans, family members, interested media, including CNN, PBS, a Discovery Channel crew and a New York Times reporter, waited patiently for their logo bags compliments of the
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lone commercial enterprise allowed to land on Iwo Jima, Military Historical Tours. The bags contained, among other things, informational packets, wide-brimmed “60th Anniversary Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor” hats and an empty glass vial with the words, “Sands of Iwo Jima, March 2005, Continental Airlines” taped to the outside. Teddy Draper, Sr., his son Teddy Jr., and National Park Service Ranger William Yazzie stood out among the mostly Caucasian crowd. The senior Mr. Draper does not hear very well since a mortar round exploded near him on Iwo Jima 60 years ago, but he makes every effort to meet and to engage the constant stream of well-wishers drawn to him by his distinctive gold Code Talker attire. Today, however, he seemed detached, looking straight ahead and letting his son and Mr. Yazzie handle the fans. His son related later how his father had been feeling more and more nervous as the historic day approached. Only those who were on Iwo Jima in the spring of 1945 can know what it was like. Historical accounts, r e m e m b r a n c e
films, and photographs allow people a glimpse what happened there, but only veterans of the combat can see just by closing their eyes. In 2004, Mr. Draper wrote about his time there: “The invasion on Iwo Jima was real hell; because there were dead Marines everywhere as we moved ahead. It was terrible to see the blown or ripped apart bodies. I had to walk or crawl on my knees to get through. I had to carry my rifle, telephones, wires and my own pack that weighed 130 lbs. The dust would pop around me from the gunfire of the enemy. You could hear the loud blasts of missiles, grenades and other weapons. My arms are shaking from recalling and I don't like talking about Hell Island.” Mr. Draper’s 28th Regiment, 5th Marine Division was responsible for cutting off Mount Suribachi, on the southernmost tip of Iwo Jima, from the rest of the island. Their dash across the narrow neck of the island exposed them to tremendous fire from Japanese positions inside the mountain’s intricate network of caves and bunkers. Despite heavy losses the volcano was completely surrounded on D-day plus four, February 23. Code Talkers ran wire to the top of Suribachi to relay messages, and Mr. Draper remembers the first one he sent from the summit, “We have raised the flag, we have taken hill.” Joe Rosenthal, the Associated Press photographer, ascended the mountain with a 40-man detachment soon after the Code Talkers. After taking the iconic picture of the second flag-raising that would make Iwo Jima legendary, Mr. Rosenthal took another, posed photo. Teddy Draper remembers having to duck out of this second photograph of the flagraisers and other Easy Company Marines because he was told that, for security reasons, he could not let his picture be taken. 60 years later, the first stop on the Iwo Jima tour was the former site of the Marine Corps Divisional cemeteries. Photos of the time show small white crosses stretching toward Mount Suribachi in overwhelming numbers. A young Marine was interpreting the site for visitors when five veterans grouped together for a brief reunion behind the cemetery marker. No one took their smiles and laughter as disrespectful; everyone knew they just were happy to be alive. Green Beach All of the veterans who visited the beach noticed that the sand had expanded since 1945. The steep berm of ash and sand where Marines precariously had landed was some 50 to 75 yards up the beach from the water. It was slow going on sand that seemed to swallow footsteps. It was easy to see why only through the heroic efforts of fearless construction battalions and their bulldozers had the constant stream of men and supplies gotten off the beach in 1945. After reaching his landing area, Mr. Draper knelt down in the soft sand and started to fill his glass vial. Later, he would divulge the reason for what some might misinterpret as souvenir gathering: “I came back home after [the battle] but I got sick. I was very sick. My vision, my hearing...the images that people are being killed. My visions became nightmares. “I came here to get some kind of help. The ceremony we have on the Navajo reservation we call the Ndáá helps me a little bit but one of the leaders of the medicine men told me I have to get back here and take some items, take them back to the Navajo reservation and then we can cure you. That’s why I’m here today.” The media catches up with Mr. Draper on Green beach. They photograph and record him on videotape as he stands with his back to Mt. Suribachi, as he talks to other 28th Regiment survivors who have walked down the long stretch of beach, and as he shakes hands with people who thank him for his service. William Yazzie then pulls an American flag out of his bag, and the three Native Americans stand behind it as Teddy Draper, Sr. sings a song he wrote. He calls it the Flag Song, and he wrote it 60 years ago while fighting for Iwo Jima. It is famous on the Navajo reservation and is even played on the radio there. Teddy Draper sings strongly and clearly, and the Navajo words ring out across the windswept beach. Mount Suribachi The Humvee carrying Mr. Draper is one of the first to reach the top of Mount Suribachi, at 550 feet, the tallest point on the island. From the peak, the whole island is visible. The Japanese had planned for months to use the mountain as a primary firing position because of r e m e m b r a n c e
opposite: Teddy Draper, Sr. rides in a US Marine Corps Humvee as he tours Iwo Jima. He looked for the place where he was wounded in 1945 but could not locate it due to the dense vegetation that covers the formerly barren volcanic island. Top: In 1945, the 5th Marine Division cemetery on Iwo Jima was flanked by the 3rd Division on the left and the 4th Division on the right. (USMC) Middle: From left, Teddy Draper, Jr., Teddy Draper, Sr., and Canyon de Chelly National Park Service Ranger William Yazzie hold the American flag while Mr. Draper, Sr. sings his Flag Song. Bottom: Marine Corps Major General Timothy Larsen, Deputy Commander, US Forces, Japan, shakes hands with Teddy Draper on Green beach, Iwo Jima. Photos: Cindy Rapadas
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Left: Iwo Jima as it appears today. Mount Suribachi dominates the island while Japanese administration and support buildings dot the landscape. The island was under American control until 1968 when it was returned to the Japanese. The island is now a Japanese Self Defense Force base and access by outsiders is extremely difficult to obtain.
Middle: A lone Marine stands under the American flag raised on February 23, 1945. While the sight of the flag boosted morale, it would be another 32 days of intense fighting before the island was declared secure. Below: Marines assist Teddy Draper as he raises a flag in honor of the men who were killed on Iwo Jima in 1945.
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its proximity to the most obvious American landing beaches. It is amazing to look down on the landing sites from this strategic location and wonder how any Americans could have survived the precise and deadly Japanese fire. Mr. Draper has in the past described the conflagration much like a rainstorm of mortar rounds, artillery shells and machine gun bullets. After touring the top of the mountain and raising a flag in honor of his fallen comrades, Mr. Draper relates the story of how he was wounded. "During the battle, I was wounded by Japanese artillery. I had two boys with me, I was the leader when that happened. All I remember was this artillery attack. The boys were behind me, going back to the blockhouse where our equipment was. And all I hear is a big boom and I landed on the ground. The boys came over from the blockhouse and picked me up. Right away I said, where's Whitey, how's Whitey? They told me his skin is rolled over, up to his neck and sides and down to his belt and all they could see was a lot of blood and a lot of veins. The other one was still in a kneeling position, still had the rifle in his hand. They said we checked but he was gone." Teddy Draper still feels responsible for the loss of those two boys. His voice catches on the words and his eyes redden and he looks quickly away. Teddy Draper, Sr. didn’t tour much else of the island. He was sad and tired and seemed to want to leave this place where he had spent 36 days hoping he wouldn’t be killed. Two days after the trip to Iwo Jima, the Arizona Memorial Museum Association held a live video conference between Guam, the Navajo Nation, and Hawaii. Teddy Draper spoke Navajo during much of the conference. He apologized to the Hawaii and Guam children watching and tried to translate his thoughts into English. But emotionally and spiritually, Teddy Draper, Sr. is a Navajo Native American who is searching for a way to complete his journey, as the Navajo say, in beauty. “A few days ago we went back to Iwo Jima island. This time we landed peacefully on a plane. The whole Iwo Jima island is different...a lot of vegetation. There we lost some Navajos, we lost 6,000 to 7,000 Marines. I wanted to visit where I was wounded because I feel sorrow, I feel a love for them. But the whole Iwo Jima has changed and I can’t find [where I was wounded]. There are a lot of trees, lots of vegetation, so I didn’t bother to go back to where I was wounded. I went back to Mount Suribachi where in 1945 we put a flag up, and it’s different too. “It happened; we fought on Iwo Jima. We know we lost a lot of men, we killed a lot of enemies there.... “I know I will be cured, I know I will hear again, I know I will see again. I know I’ll be a better man, like I used to be.” 2 0 0 5
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Arizona Memorial Museum Association Telephone toll free: 1-888-485-1941 Email: azmemph@hawaii.rr.com
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1 Commemorative Medallion Set
Surprise, Sacrifice, Surrender Designed and minted in Hawaii, this set contains: (1) Silver Commemorative Remember Pearl Harbor Medallion: 1 Troy oz., .999 fine silver; (1) 1943 zinc penny; (1) Silver Medallion commemorating the Japanese surrender in 1945; (1) Hawaii occupation note. An authentic one dollar bill from WWII Hawaii. occupation notes replaced normal currency in the event of a hostile takeover of the Hawaiian Islands.Easily identifiable notes could be devalued, making them worthless to an enemy. Item No. 4023 $199.00 +
$9.00 S&H Member price: $169.15
2 USS Arizona Memorial
Note Card Set Remember Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. 10 boxed notecards and envelopes. Item No. 4018 $8.95 +
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$4.30 S&H Member price: $7.61
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Lanyard, ticket holder and Commemorative Collector’s tickets Complete set of all 10 limited edition collector's cards given out for the tour at the USS Arizona Memorial visitor center. Includes 10 different heroes stories and photos. Special price includes lanyard, and ticket holder. Item No. 4030 $6.95 + $3.00 S&H Member Price: $5.91
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AMMA Members receive a 15% discount off the retail price of any bookstore item r e m e m b r a n c e
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1 Arizona Memorial Place Honolulu, Hawaii 96818