How much is the Native community supposed to take? As the world now knows U.S. Navy Seals under orders from President Obama completed a successful raid on a compound of terrorist Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden was killed during the raid. The United States public enemy number one had been eliminated. Unfortunately for Native nationals, especially the Chiricahua Apache people the code name for the target Bin Laden and the operation was called “Operation Geronimo”.
This writer finds it hard to believe that a man as intelligent as President Obama could allow the name of the last great native warrior leader to be uttered and by extention (purposely or otherwise) in any connection with a hated terrorist.
This smacks at the same disregard that the U.S. Government, specifically the military seems to have across the board in naming “things” after native nations or it’s members as though the descendants of these people would not care or be offended. This is written to let it be known that people do care and it must stop.
Some will try to put forth the idea that the name was used out of respect. This is nonsense.
It is a well-known fact that for several years (beginning with World War II) at the jump (parachuting) school (Airborne) at Ft. Benning in Georgia. Troops going out on their first static line jumps from a aircraft said “Geronimo!” as they exited the door. This is because most people find it “crazy” to jump from several thousand feet in the air from a perfectly good aircraft that you know is going to land.
Most in the dominant culture have always believed in and out of the military that Geronimo the Bedonkohe leader of the Chiricahua Apache was “crazy” because he and his warriors had the nerve and audacity (there’s that word again!) to stand like men (and women) and fight for the hope (there’s that other word again!) dignity of their people against oppressive forces and the U.S. army!
Yes he stood up, but he was anything but “crazy” for he was able to fight and elude the army for over two years. Some might suggest this could be the reason for the codename of the target/ operation because Bin Laden also proved elusive. But this is irrelevant when one considers the differences between these two individuals and the reasons for their actions.
Geronimo was a warrior of and for the freedom, dignity and survival of his people. Osama Bin Laden on the other hand, was a callous murderer with a twisted ideology. There is a world of differences between the two. So in light of this how could it be that anyone would dare use the name of the last great soldier/leader in the “Indian Wars” in the same breath as a terrorist is beyond comprehension. Although over the years some racist historians and novelists have attempted to paint Geronimo as a barbaric butcher of heathen Indian culture, so we can possibly assume where some of this derives. None of the less, it is clear that such actions are not just insensitive, but downright offensive.
If those in command and control were going to use someone’s name why not use Alvin York, or Audie Murphy or even John Pershing, George Patton or Douglas MacArthur. After all they were well known and highly respected (in the case of the latter three, flag rank) decorated war heroes. The reason they do not use the names of these men or others like them rarely, if at all is because it would relegate their names to a “codeword”, a “thing” like “Helping Hand” or “Rolling Thunder” always with the chance that the “op” could “go south” rather than the respect most would feel they deserve as great military men, as warriors. Geronimo was just as great as they were as a fighter and tactician and deserves parity with them, not an act of disdain.
In retrospect why not call it something like operation/target “Imminent Demise”. That would have made better sense considering the outcome and not been such an affront. Even if the codename were computer generated at random those in command had to realize how sensitive this issue would be, they just didn’t care.
History has shown that the U.S. Government as well as those who control the mechanization of American culture and media at large has been disparaging native heroes for centuries with every means available to them. Except of course when it suits their purposes.
Therefore all native people and principally those who are Chiricahua Apache deserve an apology from those responsible, namely: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff Admiral Mike Mullen, and the Commander in Chief President Barack Obama for sullying the name of the great warrior leader of the Apache nation. It is bad enough the man had to endure humiliation after his surrender for the remainder of his life, to continue to insult him and his spirit in the afterlife is not welcomed. An apology is warranted; this is only right, fair and just. Let us see if they are men enough to do so.
Gwendolyn Wydermyre is a filmmaker of Chiricahua Apache descent. She lives in New York City.