"Sam Billison*Navajo Code Talker passes"


ride on the wind
whisper in the clouds
soar with the eagles
safe home, brother
Great Spirit awaits

your journey, your gifts
your love of your people
bravery shown in battles
proud of your achievements
we honor your service

this nation owes you
gratitude and respect
you led the way for others
chose the warriors ways
the connection never ends

With gratefulness, we salute you sir.

Mourning Dove Caller ©2004


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Sam Billison, Navajo Code Talker, passes on
Thursday, November 18, 2004

Samuel Billison, one of the most prominent Navajo Code Talkers, died on Wednesday of heart complications. He was around 78 or 79.

Billison enlisted in the U.S. Marines at a young age and was recruited as a Code Talker. He served in the Pacific Theater, where the skills of the Navajo soldiers in developing and using an unbreakable code helped the U.S. win World War II.

Billison received a Congressional Silver Medal for his efforts. He was one of more than 300 young Navajos who followed the original group of Code Talkers, who received Gold Medals.

Billison served as the public spokesman for his fellow soldiers as president of the Navajo Code Talkers Association. His voice was recorded for the Navajo Code Talker GI Joe doll.

Billison was more than a Code Talker. He was an educator who worked as a teacher, principal and superintendent. He also spent two terms on the Navajo Nation Council.

this article is from:
www.indianz.com

Thank you Sam Billison and your other Navajo brothers, for your service that remained unknown for so long. We are grateful for the sacrifices that you've made.

The Marines never forgot the wind talkers. As a radioman I can affirm the stories of the Navaho wind talkers is a legend in the Marines.

I'm saddened to hear this.

This country and the world owe Sam Billsom and the other code talkers a great deal.

ride on the wind
whisper in the clouds
soar with the eagles
safe home, brother
Great Spirit awaits

Native men have always given 1000% percent, you already know that proportionately, they serve more than any other.

They are a legend all over the country, I think, too. People here in PA knew about them and knocked each other over trying to get to the movie first.

The government considered the Navajo language as a potentially valuable code after WWII, only being declassified in '68. The code talkers were sworn to secrecy about their achievement. Those who knew because they were there with the code talkers, knew what those guys had done, but it still stayed "inside" because it was still classified. Mr Average John Q. Public didn't know until 2000.

They are famous allover the world, in fact: the first time I heard about this people was in a french movie picture, in the 80.