Veterans Corner
GALLUP CITIZENS HONORING VETERANS veterans corner
G
allup, New Mexico, is recognized as a very patriotic community. There is a great reason for this designation with the history of the Navajo Code Talkers who gave invaluable assistance in winning World War II by using the code in the Navajo language which was never broken. Gallup had many citizens who fought and died during World War II. We also had a strong representation of young men who were involved in the Bataan Death March, as it was the New Mexico National Guard that was deployed to the Philippians and ultimately helped prevent a Japanese invasion of Australia. Many of our Gallup members of the New Mexico National Guard were captured, tortured, and held as Prisoners of War and were forced to walk the infamous 65-mile “Death March.” 26
August 2018
By Sandra McKinney
And, of course, many of our young men fought during the Korean War, which produced our local hero and Medal of Honor Recipient, Heroshi (Hershey) Miyamura. Gallup also provided many young soldiers who went to Vietnam and returned without a Welcome Home. Since the beginning of Desert Storm, Gallup soldiers have fought and died in the Middle East. So many of our young Native Americans from the area will enlist in the Armed Forces to show their patriotism and to fight for their country. War is an event which no human should have to endure. Many of our soldiers return home, but never leave the battle fields within their minds. Too many of them suffer from physical injuries, loss of limbs, and also from the pain of the mind – Post Traumatic Stress (In the days of WWII, it was called “Shell Shock.”).
