How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Always remember, you are defending both your country and your families. The Japanese attacked your land, your home. And now you will make your country proud." (1.30)
The words of a senior officer before the invasion of Guadalcanal emphasizes the fact that Chester and his buddies will only win their country's esteem if they carry out their duty with courage.
Quote #2
Our ability to stay calm in the face of pressure, to think clearly under stress, had reaped rewards. We were Marines! (9.11)
Chester and the code talkers have gone through boot camp. They've proven that they have the skills and the courage to be Marines.
Quote #3
The intense training had built up our confidence. By the end of basic training, I felt satisfied that I had learned everything I needed to know to stay alive in combat. (9.71)
Chester's feeling good about taking on the enemy. He's full of confidence. He'll need confidence, considering the seriously dangerous situations he'll find himself in.
Quote #4
We were heroes back in the United States. But I don't think any of us, struggling as we were to keep going and to do our jobs, could have felt less like a hero. (13.42)
At this point, Chester has no idea that back at home in America the newspapers are celebrating the Marines. Being a hero doesn't mean that he feels like a hero. Even if other people are saying so.
Quote #5
I'm not saying we were heroes, but we Navajo men always tried to do our best, just like we'd been taught by our families back home. (15.44)
Here, Chester traces his courage back to the values that he's learned from his family back on the Checkerboard. We can also see what a modest guy he is. He is a hero, but he says he just tried his best.
Quote #6
The general formula for numbers of invading troops needed to overcome entrenched troops was three to one. Thus we needed thirty thousand Marines to vanquish the ten-thousand-plus Japanese hidden in caves and tunnels on the island. The First Marine Division […] had only about nine thousand infantrymen, plus their 11th Regiment, Division Artillery. (16.7)
The odds are seriously against them, but the Marines still take on the Japanese on the island of Peleliu. This is the kind of courage that Chester and his buddies are called on to show again and again.
Quote #7
I remember approaching the field. It was wide open with no cover, the kind of place any fighting man wanted to avoid at all costs. (16.25)
On the island of Peleliu, Chester faces his toughest battle yet. Crossing an airfield exposed to enemy fire takes a whole lotta guts, and Chester's got them.
Quote #8
[W]e Navajos don't celebrate the accomplishments of one who has done his expected duty, so although the homecoming was joyous, there was no reason to celebrate my bravery. (17.26)
We'd expect big parties, drinking, and even some fireworks in celebration of Chester's safe return home. But no. The guy risked his life to save his country? So what. He was just doing his duty.
Quote #9
"[The code talkers'] resourcefulness, tenacity, integrity and courage saved the lives of countless men and women and sped the realization of peace for war-torn lands." (21.6)
These are the words of President Richard Nixon, who honors the code talkers in a letter to the Navajo Tribal Council in 1971. Who are we to contradict Nixon's praise of the code talkers' courage?
Quote #10
"In presenting gold medals to each of them, the Congress recognizes their individual service, bravely offered and flawlessly performed." (21.9)
President George W. Bush presents Chester and the code talkers with the Congressional Gold Medal. That's the highest civilian honor that Congress can bestow. Are we convinced that these guys are courageous heroes yet or not?