The Chameleon Soldier: NOW AS AN ALIEN BLUE HE CANNOT DIE. (7 page)

Then there were some bad times. In 1934, at the age of eighty-two, Chester Freeman died. One year later, almost to the day, Martha passed on.

Peter and Jacob, now in their late fifties, and their grown children, were in charge of running the ranch. Killian was spending most of his time at Fort Bliss, helping train the horses they had sold to the cavalry.

Meanwhile, trouble was
once again stirring in Europe. Upon the death of Germany’s president, Paul Von Hindenburg, Chancellor Adolph Hitler became the absolute dictator under the title of Fuehrer, or “Leader”. Hitler dismantled Germany’s democratic government, and replaced it with the Third Reich. Extremist propaganda spread the word of the regime’s ideals, and goals, according to the “Fuehrer Principles. Hitler now stood outside the legal state, and determined matters of policy himself. He had the final say in both domestic and foreign policy. Under the Third Reich, the German people had no guarantee of basic rights. The government issued a decree which suspended constitutional civil rights. Hitler’s Third Reich was a single-party dictatorship based on the totalitarian and autocratic ideology of Nazism.

After World War I and the Great Depression no one wanted war. Hitler saw this as a weakness. His ambition was to secure more land, especially to the east of Germany. His idea was to expand Germany according to the Nazi policy of
lebensraum
. Hitler used the pretext for Germany’s right to acquire land where German-speaking people lived. In March, 1938, Germany took over Austria. Then, in March, 1939, Great Britain and France let Hitler take over Czechoslovakia. Both countries were taken without bloodshed as Britain and France were trying to appease Hitler, and avoid another war. However, all this did was boost Hitler’s confidence in his plans to continue taking land to the east.

On September, 1, 1939, Hitler attacked Poland in a sudden
blitzkrieg
. Most of Poland’s air force was destroyed while it was still on the ground. Bridges and roads were bombed and marching Polish soldiers were machine gunned from the air. But the Germans didn’t aim just for the soldiers; they also shot at the civilians. Later that same afternoon, Great Britain and France sent an ultimatum to Hitler to withdraw from Poland or face war with them. On the third of September German forces penetrated deeper into Poland. Great Britain and France declared war on Germany.

America had not build up arms or forces to prepare for war. The American people didn’t want to be involved in the warfare, in Europe. However, in March, 1940, the Land-Lease Act was passed. This stated that President Roosevelt could direct aid to whomever he wanted. That meant the United States was no longer neutral. America feared Germany taking over Europe, so the president contributed billions of dollars in aid to the British, and supplied French troops with arms and other support. President Roosevelt, together with some members of the senate and congress were looking for a good reason to enter the conflict. It would need to be an incident of a seriousness, which would lead everyone to agree that America should join the war. When the Japanese bombed the hell out of Pearl Harbor, the American people were incensed, and in such an uproar that no one wanted to back down from the fight.

In 1942, the United States Army still had horse cavalry as there wasn’t any fully developed strategy for fighting a war in the western hemisphere. There was no guarantee there would be good roads, ample fuel, supplies, and good terrain where troops might be needed. The Army believed mounted soldiers, using sure-footed horses, would be invaluable. Another factor was that horse cavalry could quickly get around, and over such natural hazards as hills, rocks and deserts. Nonetheless, even with the advantage of mobility, cavalry units proved to be a difficult problem. The units were unpopular with operation commanders, as horses and their equipment took up valuable shipping space and logistic support, far more than other military outfits.

For the first year of the war, none of the cavalrymen or their horses was deployed overseas. Killian continued to work at the ranch, and at Fort Bliss. Over the first few months of the war, Killian struggled over whether he should, once again, join the military. Then, one morning while reading the newspaper, he came across an interesting article. It was about an idea by Phillip Johnson, a missionary’s son, who had spent much of his life on the Navajo Indian reservation.

Johnson’s idea had centered on military communication, which was an essential factor during wartime. From ship to ship or battalion to battalion everyone had to know when, and where, to attack. If the enemy could hear and break the special codes, the element of surprise would be lost, and probably the battle. Encryptions were vital in order to protect important conversations. Many different codes were used and often broken by the enemy. Phillip Johnson had thought of a code he believed would be unbreakable. It was based on the language of the Navajo Indians. While working as an engineer for the city of Los Angeles, he had heard that the Army was attempting to come up with a new code. He had driven to Camp Elliot, near San Diego, and presented his idea to Lieutenant Colonel James Jones, the Area Signal Officer. The colonel had been skeptical, but he had recommended a demonstration for Major General Clayton Vogel. The experiment of a talker program using the Navajo language was successful. Then Major General Vogel sent a letter to the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, recommending they enlist two hundred Navajo Indians for this proven project. They were given permission to start a “pilot project”, but beginning with only thirty Navajo Indians. In May, 1942, Major General Vogel’s recruiters were at Fort Defiance in Arizona, selecting the thirty Navajo Indians, who were to be the first code talkers.

Killian felt he could be very useful as a code talker. He had served as a Negro in the Buffalo soldiers, so why not now, as a Navajo code talker? He packed a small bag, got into his pale blue 1940 Chevrolet pickup, and drove the four hundred miles to Fort Defiance. When he arrived, and entered the recruiting building, he learned he was too late. They had already selected the thirty men. He felt hugely frustrated as he glanced around the large room at the chosen few.

Then his eyes met the fierce glare of one of the Navajos. Killian recognized him at once as a Blue, possibly one of Lupan’s men. The big Navajo clearly recognized Killian, and knew him to be Taglito Silaada.

Neither knew what to do. Killian decided it would be best if he went outside, and wait for the Navajo Blue to leave the building with the others. A few minutes later, the thirty men exited, and were led toward a barracks, where they’d spend the night. The Navajo, however, separated from the others, and walked warily over to Killian.

“So, Taglito Silaada, you’re still alive. Lupan has been searching for you.”

“As I have been for him,” replied Killian, staring at the Indian. “How are you called?”

“I am Hok’ee.”

“In English, you’re known as the high-backed wolf,” said Killian.

“Yes. You know our language well, Taglito Silaada.”

“Now you plan to use the Navajo language to cause ill as a code talker, Hok’ee.”

Hok’ee’s mouth creased into a vile smile. “Yes. I will cause the death of many white men.”

Killian wanted to attack him then and there, but knew it wasn’t the time or the place. “Is Lupan nearby?” he asked.

“He is, and he will come to kill you, Taglito Silaada.” Hok’ee spat out the words. Then he turned and rejoined the other Navajos heading toward the barracks.

Killian watched him go. His instincts told him later that night; Hok’ee would sneak out of the barracks. He’d go to tell Lupan that Taglito Silaada was at the fort. He’d wait for Hok’ee to make his move.

After having dinner, Killian sat under a tall tree near the stables. It was a dark, cloudy night, but he could see the barracks doors. Two hours, he saw a figure leaving the barracks. It was Hok’ee, heading for the stables. Killian moved back behind the tree.

Hok’ee entered the stable, and was about to jump up on a Mustang pony when Killian threw him to the ground. Hok’ee was agile, and sprang back to his feet. They began to fight. When Killian knocked Hok’ee against a stall, the Indian grabbed a pitchfork hanging on the wall. He jabbed it at Killian, sticking a prong into Killian’s left leg. As he stumbled he wrestled the pitchfork away from the Navajo, and pulled the prong out of his bleeding leg. Hok’ee ran, and jumped up on the pony. Killian quickly grabbed a rope hanging on a post, and as he’d done hundreds of times, at his ranch, he lassoed his enemy, jerking him from the pony. When Hok’ee hit the ground, Killian quickly hog-tied him, and knocked him unconscious. Next he dragged the heavy body of Hok’ee out into the corral, and laid him on a pile of hay. He went back into the stable picked up two oil lamps and poured the contents over Hok’ee’, and the hay. Killian removed a small box of matches from his pocket, lit one and tossed it onto the hay. As the flames rose, and licked at his body, Hok’ee’s wild red eyes opened. As he struggled with the rope he burst into flames. For an instant he was transformed into a wolf standing on its hind legs, and howled; then there was a bright flash of blue light followed by a ribbon of blue-white smoke that rose up into the sky.

The enthralled Killian watched. It was the first time he’d witnessed the spectacle the Crow Indian medicine man had told him about so long ago.

As the smoke rose he whispered, “No, Hok’ee, you will not join the code talkers, and cause the death of many white men.”

Killian returned to the stable, picked up a rake, and was beating out the burning hay when a few men rushed toward the stable.

“What the hell caused the fire?” shouted one of the men.

“I don’t know. I was just passing by. Get some buckets of water we need to put it out,” Killian answered.

The men ran to get buckets of water.

The following morning, the fourth of May, 1942, Killian climbed into his Chevy pickup, and headed back to his ranch. At the same time twenty-nine Navajo recruits boarded a bus, at Fort Defiance, on their way to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California. It was there they would spend seven weeks for standard recruit training before transferring to Camp Elliot for eight weeks of basic communication training, and to develop a special code based on the Navajo language.

Throughout the war, the code talkers were commended for their skill, speed and accuracy. They proved to be invaluable to the military forces.

The United States
government made a decision regarding the 1st Cavalry in February, 1943, when General McArthur ordered them dismounted. The unit was then equipped with hundreds of new armored vehicles, motorcycles, tanks and heavy weapons. To the dismay of most of the cavalrymen, the 1st Cavalry was now converted into a mechanized infantry unit. The proud cavalrymen did not want to trade in their horses, and saddles for vehicles. However, on February, 28, all the mounted regiments held a dismount ceremony, where the men turned in their horses, saddles and bridles. It was a sad day for the cavalry.

Some of the horses were sent to other forts, but most were auctioned off at bargain prices. Killian, along with Peter, Jacob and their sons, attended the Fort Bliss auction. They were buyers. Many of the cavalrymen, who knew Killian, and the men from the KF ranch, asked them to purchase their horse, promising to buy it back after the war. They obliged and bought every one of the horses they were asked to buy, plus many more fine mounts at giveaway prices. Altogether they bought over three hundred animals, along with many of the saddles and bridles. It took them days to move the horses, and equipment to the KF ranch.

T
he war raged
on in Europe for much longer than most had envisioned. With the 1st Cavalry now dismounted, and Fort Bliss not purchasing horses, the market for the stock at the KF ranch was limited to individuals, who were buying horses for pleasure or to help work their farms. Killian and the Freeman family turned a large portion of the ranch into grazing land and began raising steers. Their longhorns were some of the finest in the region. Over the following months, Killian and the Freeman family were ever-present at the rodeos, and livestock shows that thrived at the El Paso Country Coliseum.

When the war ended in 1945, and for a few years afterward, some of the cavalrymen, who had survived the war, returned to El Paso. They came to the KF ranch looking for, and to purchase, their old mounts. When the men found their horse was still on the ranch, and in good health, they were overjoyed. When they asked what they owed for their horse, they were told they had already paid for it by their service to the country. Most of the time, the returning soldiers would stay for a few days, and reminisce with Killian. Some of them knew which of their comrades would not be returning for their mounts, as they were buried in one of the many gravesites in Europe. A few even stayed on to help with the work at the ranch.

One of them who stayed was Captain Kipling Smith. He had been wounded in the right leg and was still walking with a cane. Captain Smith was from a wealthy family in Virginia. They owned a large acreage of farm and ranch land along the east coast. His parents, Jesse and Arthur Smith, lived on a southern-style plantation farm. His grandfather, Zack, had a ranch next door to Kipling’s parents’ home. It was stocked with many fine horses. Zack Smith was well known, nationwide, for raising successful racing horses.