Last of original group of Navajo Code Talkers dies
FLAGSTAFF The last of the 29 Navajos who developed a code that stumped
the Japanese during World War II has died.
Chester Nez, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died Wednesday morning of kidney failure,
said Judy Avila, who helped Nez write his memoirs. He was 93.
Before hundreds of men from the Navajo Nation became Code Talkers, 29 Navajos
were recruited to develop the code based on the then-unwritten Navajo language.
Nez was in 10th grade when he enlisted, keeping his decision a secret from his family
and lying about his age, as did many others.
Special feature: Navajo Code Talkers
"It's one of the greatest parts of history that we used our own native language during
World War II," Nez told The Associated Press in 2010. "We're very proud of it."
Of the 250 Navajos who showed up at Fort Defiance, Arizona, then a U.S. Army base
29 were selected to join the first all-Native American unit of Marines. They were inducted
in May 1942. Nez became part of the 382nd Platoon.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/2014/06/04/arizona-navajo-code-talker-dies-nez/9965201/
merrily
(45,251 posts)"Thank you and rest in peace" will have to do.
Tenth grade. Wow.
TygrBright
(20,733 posts)AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)I ended up cross-referencing to the entry on it in Wikipedia somehow a while back.
It's not structured anything like Indo-Euro languages (duh) but it goes further than that. You almost have to rethink the world. It's verb heavy with prefixes that alter the root (and go in a certain order) ...like up to 16? 18? prefixes. I can't remember exactly. We in English sorta point at something and put some sounds together to name it. Navajo looks at things thru their action and purpose, not just by naming. Or that's how I remember what I read.
I think I'll go check out the Wiki entry again. Y'all do it too. It's amazing.
Then go check out Swahili!
Language is kewl!
DFW
(54,055 posts)Languages are the keys that unlock the universe
I speak nine of them, but they're all Indo-European, and I feel like a dunce next to a friend of mine who speaks Hungarian (mother tongue), Romanian, Hebrew, Aramaic, Yiddish, English, Dutch, Spanish, French and German. I'm with him as far as English, Dutch, Spanish, French and German go, but the others, mamma mia!!
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)Ahhhh..... the great vowel shift.....
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)I get two separate rec boxes on this post. Anyone else get that ?
progressoid
(49,827 posts)I did a refresh and it's still there. But only one seems to work.
Ptah
(32,983 posts)dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)I'll know next time.
niyad
(112,435 posts)Half-Century Man
(5,279 posts)Semper Fidelis Marine.
dballance
(5,756 posts)sarge43
(28,939 posts)riqster
(13,986 posts)littlemissmartypants
(22,418 posts)This makes me very sad. It is a solemn day. Respect.
"the first all-Native American unit of Marines"
Love, Peace and Shelter. Lmsp
AverageJoe90
(10,745 posts)May your afterlife be blissful & most pleasant.
brer cat
(24,402 posts)Warpy
(110,913 posts)I have no idea where I first learned about them, probably some history on the war against Japan, but I found them all to be quietly self effacing, refusing the title of "hero."
I was glad when the last few were recognized as such some years ago.
The Japanese, even when they captured a few Navajo soldiers, were never able to break the code.