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Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two
Joseph Bruchac
Top 10 Best Quotes
“Strong words outlast the paper they are written upon. ”
“Never think that war is a good thing, grandchildren. Though it may be necessary at times to defend our people, war is a sickness that must be cured. War is a time out of balance. When it is truly over, we must work to restore peace and sacred harmony once again.”
“Kill every enemy twice, Wilky said. Better than gettin' shot by a soldier pretending to be dead.”
“Another of the hard things about being in a war, grandchildren, is that although there are times of quiet when the fighting has stopped, you know you will soon be fighting again. Those quiet times give you the chance to think about what has happened. Some of it you would rather not think about, as you remember the pain and the sorrow. You also have time to worry about what will happen when you go into battle again.”
“I wish you had been there with me in that picture,” he used to say to Wilsie and me. “It is so lonely being there forever without another Indian.”
“Why did we make up nicknames? Maybe they were easier to remember. Maybe, too, they just made frightening things more familiar, even a little funny in the midst of the seriousness of war.”
“So, when all of our people did not stop raiding, the Americans made war on all of the Navajos. They burned our crops, killed our livestock, and cut down our peach trees. They drove our people into exile. They sent us on the Long Walk.”
“Our ancestors saw what war does to human beings. When we must fight other humans, injure and kill them, we also injure a part of ourselves. Our spirits become sick from contact with the enemy.”
“Never forget, grandchildren, that we must always see all other people as human beings, worthy of respect.”
“Let me have clear thoughts, clear speech, and a good path to walk this day,” I prayed as I watched the rising sun.”
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Book Keywords:
fighting-battles, defend-our-country, quiet, words, fear, pretending-death, shot-twice, war, writing, peacemaking, enemy, twice, battle, possum