'Two great men'

(Special to the Times - Donovan Quintero)

The jerseys of former Shiprock Chieftains football players, the late Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook (42) and the late Sgt. Marshall "Alan" Westbrook (74) are displayed at the front of the football field Nov. 6 in Shiprock. Both brothers were killed during their military service. Their jerseys were officially retired.

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"What a night to be a Chieftain."

Shiprock High football coach Ricky Ballard hit the mark Friday night when he opened a special pre-game ceremony before the Chieftains' final game.

Behind him the football squads of both Shiprock and visiting Zuni lined up as a silent honor guard.

"What a night to be here as friends and family," Ballard said. "What a night to be a part of a great community."

Those words reflected the feeling as the Shiprock Chieftains and the community honored the bravery and dedication of Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrook and New Mexico National Guard Sgt. Marshall "Alan" Westbrook, the two brothers who died during their military service, one in Iraq the other in Afghanistan.

The Westbrook brothers were both Shiprock graduates and Chieftain football players. The Chieftains were honoring the brothers by retiring their jerseys, No. 42 and No. 74.

"Tonight we are here to watch 80 boys play the great game of football in a country that has freedoms, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, right to bear arms, the right to a free and public education. Why? Because men like Ken and Alan Westbrook gave their lives to protect these freedoms," Ballard said.

"We are here as a Chieftain football family not just to play a football game but to honor two men that set the ultimate example for our boys," Ballard said. "Examples like patriotism, sacrifice, and investing in something greater than one's self.

"Friends and family, we will always remember Ken and Alan Westbrook and for as long as I am a Chieftain these jerseys will be hung in our fieldhouse as a memorial for these two great men," Ballard said, presenting specially prepared jerseys in boxes to the Westbrook family.

"They will be hung on the walls as an example of the characteristics that Shiprock Chieftain football wants to produce in its young men," Ballard said.

"We want to give these jerseys to the family so they can hang them in their homes and be reminded of the youth of these great men," he continued.

"Tonight we are here to shake the hands of the mother and father, and honor them for raising such great young men. We are here tonight to look into the eyes of the wives of these men and say thank you. Thank you for allowing these men to be so great.  We are here to hug the children and family members that lost a dad an uncle a brother."

"We are here as a community to show love and support to the Westbrooks. Tonight is about much more than a football game, and I will say it is great to be a Chieftain and part of such a great community," Ballard said.

The ceremony to honor the Westbrook brothers and retire their jerseys was given special significance as country music star Jo Dee Messina, who was performing at the Phil L. Thomas Performing Arts Center Friday night, came to the field before her concert to join the ceremony.

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"There is quite a bond between the U.S. military and the Navajo Indian," Messina said after her concert. "I heard the story about the brothers that they had lost and it really touched me. I hurt for the family. I was really touched by the ceremony that they were going to do for these boys so when they asked me I was in from the get-go."

Introducing Messina, Ballard expressed his gratitude.

"Ladies and gentlemen we are so honored to have a sweet and compassionate performer on short notice say that she would love to honor these men by singing the national anthem," Ballard said, adding that Messina would also be singing a second song.

"I am so grateful that someone with such great talent would be willing to honor Ken and Alan and the Westbrook family," he added. 'It is my honor to be able to introduce to you a new member of our football family, Jo Dee Messina."

"This is a song that I wrote when we lost our first female soldier over in Iraq," Messina said before sitting down at an keyboard piano set up on the Shiprock field's track.

"I saw her brother being interviewed on the news and they said what is it you want to say about your sister? And he said, 'You know I don't know what to say except that she will always be a hero to me,'" Messina said.

'And so I am so enamored by the bravery of the men and women that are over there fighting," she said. "This is a song I wrote trying to come to terms with losing someone that you love so much."

Silence reigned as her words floated across the packed stands.

"I guess heaven was needing a hero," Messina sang. "Somebody just like you. Brave enough to stand up for what you believe in and follow it through."

"All the folks in the community are just so joined together and support each other in good times and in bad," Messina said after her song. "I think that's beautiful."

Messina followed up with the national anthem and the Chieftains followed up the ceremony with an impressive 28-20 comeback victory against Zuni to wrap up their season.

"This is a once in a lifetime chance," said Northwest High School eighth grader Shaytoya Ayzee. "I liked (Jo Dee Messina's) song.  It reminded me of my grandfather, who was in the Vietnam War (although he didn't die in the war).

"It was an honor to have her here on the reservation and at Shiprock High School," Ayzee said. "She could have been somewhere else but she chose to be here."

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