Judith Schiess Avila will be the guest speaker at the Westerners’ meeting to be held on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. at the Silver City Cross Point Church Fellowship Hall.  It is located at 11600 Highway 180 East; mile-marker 116. Come join us for a delicious meal and her presentation about Chester Nez, “Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir by One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII,” based on her award winning, bestselling book of the same title.  Her presentation is sure to be fascinating and informative; so don’t miss this one!

“Our country’s Navajo people played an important role in securing our victory during World War II. In the Pacific arena, the Japanese managed to crack every communication code the United States used. The Marines turned to their Navajo recruits to develop a secret military language. Navajo Marines created the only unbroken spoken code in modern warfare.

In 2007, Judith Avila met Navajo code talker Chester Nez and convinced him that his story needed to be heard. Chester, the last of the twenty-nine original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII, insisted that he ‘had done nothing special, only his duty.’ Still, he agreed to tell Judith about his life.

Judith recorded Chester’s narrative, and then committed the memoir to paper. Penguin published Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir by One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII in 2011. It soon became a best-seller and is still going strong.

Judith, a graduate of Duke University, discovered writing after working as an air traffic controller and a computer consultant.  Not only is Judith Avila a best-selling author, she is the recipient of the following awards: NM Press Women Zia Award, New Mexico-Arizona Book Award, San Juan College-Four Corners Community Read Selection, NPR (National Public Radio) On-Air Read, and the Audible Daily Deal.”

Westerners is an international group dedicated to sharing and preserving the history of the American West. Westerners was founded in 1944 and has over 60 corrals (or chapters) in the US, and 20 corrals abroad, with over 4,000 members around the globe. Corrals generally meet for camaraderie and interesting programs on all aspects of Western history.  Anyone who loves the lore and history of the American West can join. Members range from local history buffs and readers and viewers of Western movies, to professional historians, educators, writers, and artists of all kinds.” 

Our local chapter meets on the third Tuesday of every other month throughout the year, except for December; when the meeting is held on the second Tuesday.  Dinner is served at the meeting, and the cost is $12.00 per person for members and $15 for non-members.  The public is invited to attend the meeting. If you are planning on joining us, you must make reservations with Mary Margaret Soule at 538-2888 (leave a message) on or before Sunday, October 13, 2019, as we need to insure that enough food is prepared.