Roy Hawthorne speaks at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on September 28, 2015. Photo from DVIDS
Roy Hawthorne, a member of the Navajo Nation who served as a Code Talker during World War II, recently returned to Camp Pendleton in California for the first time since his training in the 1940s. At the camp, Hawthorne learned the code that was used to transmit unbreakable messages during the war. He was then deployed to the Pacific theater during a crucial period of victory for the United Sates and its allies. “We didn’t win the war by ourselves, but we were very instrumental in the war’s favorable outcome for our country,” Hawthorne, 89, told the Associated Press. “So we consider our language to be a precious commodity today.” Hawthorne and fellow Code Talker Sam Holiday were honored at Camp Pendleton in September. They were presented with special coins, which they gifted to other Marines currently stationed there. "The Navajo Nation provided a duty that no one else could at that time. You humble us by returning to the division," Maj. Gen. Daniel O’Donohue told the former soldiers, according to Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, the public relations arm of the U.S. military. "The sacrifices you made we can’t even imagine and your legacy and your spirit live on.” The U.S. Marine Corps originally enlisted 29 Navajo young men as the Code Talkers. When the effort proved to be a success, a few hundred more tribal members like Hawthorne were trained to transmit and decipher messages during the war. In July 2001, the original Code Talkers were awarded Congressional gold medals for their service. All 29 have since passed away -- the last was Chester Nez, who died in June 2014. The second wave of Code Talkers were presented with Congressional silver medals by the same law that authorized the gold medals. Congress has since recognized 33 other tribes and hundreds of tribal members who served as Code Talkers. Get the Story:
Veterans Day memory: Navajo code talker recalls role in WWII (AP 11/11)
Native Americans Fight to Save Language That Helped Win WWII (Voice of America 11/11)
Navajo Code Talker to speak to public (The Charlotte Observer 11/4)
WWII Navajo Code talkers honored at Pendleton (The San Diego Union-Tribune 10/7)
Navajo Code Talkers Honored at Camp Pendleton Ceremony (NBC 7 San Diego 9/28)
Navajo Code Talkers visit Camp Pendleton (San Diego 6 9/28)
Camp Pendleton marines meet World War II veterans (10News 9/28)
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