Navajo Code Talker George B. Willie died Tuesday at the age of 92. (Source: Navajo Nation Council)
A Navajo Code Talker who used his native language to outsmart the Japanese in World War II has died in Arizona.
Navajo Nation officials say George B. Willie Sr. died Tuesday at age 92.
Tribal officials say Willie lived in the community of Leupp, Arizona.
He served in the Marine Corps with the Second Marine Division from 1943 to 1946.
According to his family, Willie served in the Battle of Okinawa, delivering and receiving coded messages using the Navajo language.
He and other Navajos followed in the footsteps of the original 29 who developed the code and received the Congressional Silver Medal in 2001.
Willie is survived by his wife Emma, 10 children and several grandchildren.
A celebration of life is scheduled Dec. 8 at the Presbyterian Church in Leupp.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
hankhillforprez on December 7th, 2017 at 06:49 UTC »
The Code Talker program is such a fascinating bit of history.
This guy was a real hero who had a big role in Allied victory in WW2.
Also, despite this country’s very troubled history with its native population, I love that we used an element of this country’s amazing diversity to beat the Axis powers, many of whose ideologies were based on racial superiority.
ZEDZANO on December 7th, 2017 at 05:49 UTC »
Could have used without the last two lines. We are on r/MURICA no one is not going to pay their respects tall poorly about him.
HereForTOMT on December 7th, 2017 at 03:39 UTC »
I’ll upvote for the honorable man, but that title was really unnecessary.