WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Beneath the sacred Window Rock, 147 names of our Diné soldiers who were killed in action or are missing in action, and we know there are more.
Today is the day we set aside to remember the brave young women and men who answered the call of duty and gave the most a human can offer in service – their last breaths.
The Navajo people have lost warriors protecting us, going back to our earliest days as a tribe.
Today, we remember those soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines carrying rifles and wearing American uniforms. But our protectors return to days when they rode horses and carried bows and arrows. Bow guards we adorn today remind us of them every day.
This morning, we remember and pay our respects to the Navajo women and men who gave their lives in the service of the Navajo Nation and the U.S., regardless of when or how they served.
This day is of remembrance. This is a day we remember our Navajo fallen soldiers and their families all across the Navajo Nation.
We do it to offer comfort to those still grieving families and as a sign of respect to the fallen who protected us.
Today, we honor those who laid down their lives for us, regardless of tribe, nation, or nationality. We hope that healing can happen. We reflect on those fallen. And we know, ultimately, they have not died in vain. Because of our Navajo warriors, we are still here.
Ahéhee’,
President Buu Van Nygren
###
