I am dismayed by all the opposition to the names of high school mascots, such as Redskins, Indians, and Warriors. To me, those are signs of deep respect and a gratitude for some of their past history.

I was born in 1935, so I remember World War II quite well — especially the incredible role the Navajo “Code Talkers” played in the South Pacific. Their language was their special code for secret messages and was never broken by the Japanese or anyone else.

At the Battle of Iwo Jima, the Code Talkers sent more than 800 secret messages that saved countless numbers of American lives.

Most Code Talkers were Marines, and only three are known to still be living. They were such a valuable asset to the U.S. that they traveled with personal body guards.

In the event of capture or imminent capture, the guards’ orders were to kill the Code Talker to keep him from being captured or tortured.

If anyone gives a darn, they can google Navajo Code Talkers for some interesting reading about them and their heroism that not many of us can still remember.

— Jim Farr, Clinton