Singing, Boxing, and the Korean War: Late 1940s: Haskell
- After two years on the Checkerboard, Chester decides that it's time to move on. He wants to go back to school, since he didn't finish high school before joining up with the Marines.
- An old teacher that Chester had in Fort Defiance (no, not a scary matron, a nice guy), tells Chester that he should enroll in the Haskell Institute, an all-Indian high school in Lawrence, Kansas.
- Chester enrolls in Haskell. He works jobs on different farms to help pay for his room and board. Chester makes lots of friends at the school and plays plenty of sports. He's a big fan of boxing.
- While at Haskell, Chester also takes up singing. Clearly our Navajo hero is multi-talented: not only can he develop awesome military codes, he can also sing.
- One day while at school, he sees an ad in the newspaper by a popular radio show looking for talent. Auditions are going to be held in Topeka.
- Chester goes for the audition. Even though he isn't selected as a finalist, he's happy that he went.
Late 1940s and 1950: University of Kansas
- After graduating from high school, Chester heads to the University of Kansas, where he majors in fine arts. He wants to become a commercial artist.
- It's time for romance (we knew it was coming). At a cookout with his university friends, Chester meets a young, beautiful woman—a fellow Navajo—named Ethel Pearl Catron. The two hit it off and start dating.
- But after two years at the University, Chester is again called up to war. He'd joined the Reserves after returning from the Pacific.
- Now he's called up to serve in the Korean War. The fledgling romance with Ethel is cut short.
1950-51: Korean War
- Chester goes home to the Checkerboard before heading to the Korean War. He helps out on Grandmother's land, and then heads to Camp Elliott in San Diego on September 14, 1950.
- After five days at Camp Elliott, Chester is shipped out to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Not so bad, after all—it's a million times better here than it was in the Pacific.
- At Pearl Harbor, Chester performs guard duty and helps unload transport ships.
- He's then sent to Pocatello, Idaho, where he's assigned guard duty. This Korean War service is proving to be easy-peasy. He doesn't even have to leave the U.S.!
- Chester is allowed to go home in 1951, before the war ends in 1953. He's promoted to Marine corporal.
- After he's discharged, Chester heads to his brother Coolidge's home in Albuquerque.