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Ptah

(32,983 posts)
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 03:15 PM Jun 2014

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/

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Last of original group of Navajo Code Talkers dies (Original Post) Ptah Jun 2014 OP
RIP. Aristus Jun 2014 #1
I wish I could write a few words of Navajo phonetically, anyway, on this thread. merrily Jun 2014 #2
Y'ah-ta-h'ay (Very good) n/t TygrBright Jun 2014 #9
Navajo is amazing! AlbertCat Jun 2014 #12
Mimi nejué Kiswahili kidogo DFW Jun 2014 #15
English is amazing too. AlbertCat Jun 2014 #18
off topic dipsydoodle Jun 2014 #3
Yeah, me too. progressoid Jun 2014 #4
It's my signature line image. Ptah Jun 2014 #7
You plonker. dipsydoodle Jun 2014 #8
so did I--and with two completely different numbers niyad Jun 2014 #19
Sleep peacefully Elder Half-Century Man Jun 2014 #5
The linked to feature is a great read. Well worth the time. Thanks for posting! /nt dballance Jun 2014 #6
Peaceful passage, Marine. Thank you. nt sarge43 Jun 2014 #10
Thank you, Mr. Nez riqster Jun 2014 #11
Thank you for your post, Ptah. littlemissmartypants Jun 2014 #13
Thank you kindly, Mr. Nez, for your service to this nation, and the world. AverageJoe90 Jun 2014 #14
Pass gently, sir. nt brer cat Jun 2014 #16
I met a few of them when I first moved out here Warpy Jun 2014 #17
k and r niyad Jun 2014 #20

merrily

(45,251 posts)
2. I wish I could write a few words of Navajo phonetically, anyway, on this thread.
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 03:21 PM
Jun 2014

"Thank you and rest in peace" will have to do.

Tenth grade. Wow.

 

AlbertCat

(17,505 posts)
12. Navajo is amazing!
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 04:20 PM
Jun 2014

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)
15. Mimi nejué Kiswahili kidogo
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 05:54 PM
Jun 2014

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!!

littlemissmartypants

(22,418 posts)
13. Thank you for your post, Ptah.
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 05:22 PM
Jun 2014

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)
14. Thank you kindly, Mr. Nez, for your service to this nation, and the world.
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 05:27 PM
Jun 2014

May your afterlife be blissful & most pleasant.

Warpy

(110,913 posts)
17. I met a few of them when I first moved out here
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 06:54 PM
Jun 2014

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.

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