- John Kinsell Sr., one of the last surviving Navajo code talkers who used the language to convey messages during World War II, has died at the age of 107.
- Window Rock Navajo Nation officials announced Kinsel's death Saturday.
- Kinsel's death leaves only two remaining Navajo Code Talkers, former Navajo Nation Chairman Peter McDonald and Thomas H. Begay.
John Kinsell Sr., one of the surviving Navajo Code Talkers who relayed messages in the Navajo's native language during World War II, has died. He was 107 years old.
Window Rock Navajo Nation officials announced Kinsel's death Saturday.
Tribal Chief Boo Nygren ordered all flags on the reservation to be flown at half-staff until sunset on October 27 in Kinsel's honor.
World War II Navajo 'Code Talker' turns 106 years old: How the Marines' special language changed military capabilities
“Mr. Kinsel was a Marine who assumed the greatest responsibility as a Navajo Code Talker and fought bravely and selflessly for all of us under the most horrific conditions,” Nygren said in a statement Sunday. Ta.
John Kinsel Sr., a Navajo code talker from Lukachukai, Arizona, listens to his friends talk about their World War II experiences on August 14, 2007 in Window Rock, Arizona. (AP Photo/Donovan Quintero, File)
Kinsel's death leaves only two Navajo Code Talkers: former Navajo Nation Chairman Peter McDonald and Thomas H. Begay.
Hundreds of Navajos were drafted into the Marine Corps during the war and served as code talkers, passing messages in their native language, which was unwritten at the time.
They baffled Japanese military cryptographers during World War II and took part in every Marine-led offensive in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945, including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima.
New Mexico Museum honoring World War II Navajo Code Talkers costs $40 million to open
Code Talkers transmitted thousands of messages without error regarding Japanese troop movements, battlefield tactics, and other communications important to the ultimate outcome of the war.
Kinsel was born in Cove, Arizona and lived in the Navajo community of Lukachukai.
He joined the Marine Corps in 1942 and became an elite code talker, serving with the 9th Marine Regiment and 3rd Marine Division during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
President Ronald Reagan established Navajo Code Talkers Day in 1982, and the Aug. 14 holiday honors all tribes involved in the war.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
This day is a national holiday in Arizona and also a national holiday for the Navajo Nation, a vast reservation that occupies parts of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah.
