When Ned Begay Was On The Way Home / Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac

In Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac, when Ned Begay is on his way home from helping the U.S. in World War 2 as a Marine, he stops at a bar and is treated terribly by some people. After Japan surrendered in World War 2, Ned would finally be returning home after fighting for the U.S. for a long time. As a Marine, he had seen many terrible things, and he had fought for his life for the United States. He returned to the Mainland U.S., where he then took a bus from California, where he arrived on the Mainland, to head to his home which is located in the state of Arizona. The bus stopped at a town for a break very close to Ned’s home, and then Ned goes inside for a drink because he was thirsty. He had basically just left his duties from being a Marine as he still had his uniform on. Immediately upon his entrance, the bartender states, “Can’t you read, you stupid Navajo?”(pg. 229). There was a sign above that said “No Navajos Served here.” Ned, after everything he’s been through in fighting for the United States, gets immediately treated poorly upon arrival. It’s just terrible. Ned replies by saying that he’s just a Marine who wants a coke. The guys in the bar grab him and threw him out. Ned, a very smart person,  “walked away, having realized something”(pg. 229). He simply walks away. He shows that he is strong by walking away from the incident, and not wanting to get involved. What he realizes by walking away, is what makes me angry. He realizes that even though he sacrificed his life for the United States, in the eyes of some, he is just a stupid Navajo. Ned has learned a lot as a Marine. He could’ve attacked those guys in the bar with what he learned, but he didn’t. That takes strength to do. It’s really bad how those people could just blindly attack Ned just because he is Navajo. That is terrible. What makes this especially bad is that Ned was a Marine who fought for the U.S., and look at how some people who live in the U.S. are treating him. Fortunately, Ned moved on and had become a teacher who taught young Navajos and showing the importance of maintaining the Navajo language. Even though Ned knows that some people hate Navajos, he holds on to his identity as a Navajo proudly. He does even after all his bad experiences in school and at some other places, where being Navajo was considered bad. Though Ned realizes that being Navajo did help the U.S. win the war. Despite what people say, it is important to emphasize what people as individuals believe in without giving off a negative feeling. In Conclusion, though Ned Begay helped the United States win a war and was treated badly upon return, he showed strength by moving on and promoting the Navajo language and people.