 |
|
Navajo
Code Talker President Wants U.S. Troops out of Iraq SHIPROCK — The president of the Navajo Code Talkers Association said Friday he opposes U.S. troops being stationed in Iraq because suspected weapons of mass destruction were never found. “At the time the reasoning was good (to invade) because they feared Saddam Hussein was manufacturing weapons,” former U.S. Marine Sam Billison said. Since the weapons were never found — and more U.S. troops are being killed now compared to when the actual fighting took place — they should come home, he added. “It’s different now,” Billison said. “When we went to war it was a declared World War. It had to do with the Japanese attacking our country.” He added “It’s good to support the troops but if we find there isn’t any purpose (in Iraq) the American people are going to have to think.” The association is made up of U.S. Marine World War II Navajo veterans who developed an unbreakable Navajo code to defeat the Japanese. The Code Talkers were involved in some of the bloodiest battles of the South Pacific — including Saipan. There are approximately 350 Navajo Code Talkers alive today. “We have marched in the last five presidential inaugurations except for the last one,” Billison said. “For some reason we didn’t get invited. Maybe they found out we were all democrats.” The Code Talkers met three times with President Clinton during his administration, he added. “Clinton really loves the Code Talkers.” Jim Snyder: jims@daily-times.com
|
Reprinted as a historical document under the Fair Use doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html |