Ned’s development

When the book begins, Ned Begay is a grandfather sharing his story with his grandchildren. As Ned begins his story, he moves back in time to when he was a six year old boy about to go to boarding school. Boarding school is a difficult for Ned as he struggles with the ideals of the teachers who are telling him all his traditions and language are bad and remembering the pride his family instilled in him in those same traditions and language.

As Ned grows older, he discovers that he is a good student and enjoys learning. Ned continues his education where others often drop out and attends high school. During his years of high school, Ned studies about the Japanese. Shortly after doing a report on the Japanese, Ned hears that the Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor. Ned immediately wants to join the military, but his parents caution him to wait until he is older. However, when Ned hears that the Marines want Navajos who can speak both English and Navajo, he becomes excited and wants to join even more than before.

Ned fights in the Pacific during World War II. Ned is a part of the invasions of many of the Pacific Islands, including Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In his role, Ned both fights the enemy and radios information using the Navajo code. Ned is a hero, but he is not allowed to talk about what he has done until over twenty years after the war. Ned takes advantage of his right to talk about his role in the war and uses it to show his grandchildren why they should be proud of their culture and their language.