- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – In conjunction with a national day celebrating Gold Star veterans and their families, Navajo Nation executives joined tribal veterans on Sunday to honor the lives and sacrifices of fallen warriors and their families.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer gathered with Gold Star families and tribal members at Navajo Veterans Memorial Park in Window Rock, Ariz. to celebrate “Navajo Nation Gold Star Families Day,” held in conjunction with National Gold Star Mother’s Day. The Navajo Nation designates the last Sunday in September each year to recognize the families of fallen military men and women.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
“Gold Star Families undergo the most difficult and emotional recovery period after their loss,” Nez said. “Their loved ones shine light through bravery and courage, and their contributions to society and the world,including the Navajo Nation, will never be forgotten.
“To all the Gold Star Families, know that your child is always in our Nation’s heart. The Navajo Nation stands with you. We also have many Diné men and women who continue to serve in the Armed Forces around the world. We ask the Creator to watch over them and to bring them home safely.”
Bobby Martin of the Navajo Hopi Honor Riders spoke on behalf of the veterans in attendance and read the names of 14 Navajo fallen warriors who gave their lives in the line of duty since 2003. He joined Nez and Lizer as they laid a wreath at a memorial site at Navajo Veterans Memorial Park.
The fallen warriors include:
- SPC Lori A. Piestewa, U.S. Army, KIA 3/23/03, Operation Iraqi Freedom
- PFC Harry N. Shondee, U.S. Army, KIA 8/3/03, Operation Iraqi Freedom
- SGT Lee Duane Todacheene, U.S. Army, KIA 4/6/04, Operation Iraqi Freedom
- LCPL Quinn A. Keith, U.S. Marines, KIA 9/6/04, Operation Iraqi Freedom
- LCPL Kevin B. Joyce, U.S. Marines, KIA 6/25/05, Operation Enduring Freedom
- CPL Lyle Cambridge, U.S. Army, KIA 7/5/05, Operation Iraqi Freedom
- SGT Marshall A. Westbrook, U.S. Army, KIA 10/1/05, Operation Iraqi Freedom
- SGT Clifton J. Yazzie, U.S. Army, KIA 1/20/06, Operation Iraqi Freedom
- SGT Christopher N. Gonzalez, U.S. Army, KIA 5/14/07, Operation Iraqi Freedom
- SGT Troy O. Tom, U.S. Army, KIA 8/18/09, Operation Enduring Freedom
- LCPL Alejandro J. Yazzie, U.S. Marines, KIA 2/16/10, Operation Enduring Freedom
- SPC Christopher J. Moon, U.S. Army, KIA 7/13/10, Operation Enduring Freedom
- SGT 1st James E. Thode, U.S. Army, KIA 12/2/10, Operation Enduring Freedom
- SSGT Jonathan D. Davis, U.S. Marines, KIA 2/22/13, Operation Enduring Freedom
“On Gold Star Families Day, we honor the memory and bravery of every lost soldier, and we humbly grieve with their families,” Lizer said. “Gold Star Diné Families deserve our utmost respect, admiration, and support for their resilience and strength. We will never know the extent of their experiences and sacrifices, but shouldering their grief, they find the courage and conviction to move forward and transform their heartache into hope.”
More Stories Like This
House Passes Bipartisan Debt Ceiling Deal; How Native American Members of Congress VotedHistory Made as First Navajo Appointed U.S. Federal Judge in California
California Bill Aims to Increase State Funding for Tribal Housing
Navajo Nation Leaders Recognized the Fallen on Memorial Day
This Day in History — May 28, 1830, Andrew Jackson Signs Indian Removal Act
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
