One of the last remaining Navajo code talkers who helped the US and its allies win World War II died recently. With the death of John Kinsel Sr, 107, last week, only two living Navajo code talkers remain. They are his fellow US Marines, Thomas Begay, and Peter MacDonald, in their 90s.
What Were Code Talkers?
Code talkers were American Indians who used their tribal language to send secret communications on the battlefield during WWII. Many were Navajos, but Cherokee and Comanche tribes were others included. It was ironic that many were being asked to use their Native languages to fight on behalf of America. Many of these people groups had been forced to attend government or religious-run boarding schools that tried to assimilate Native peoples. These schools would punish students for speaking in their traditional language. Now, these native Americans were encouraged to use their language to help in the war.
After basic training, these men had to develop and memorize a unique military code using their mostly unwritten language. During a battle, one person would operate the portable radio while the second person would send and receive messages in the Native language and translate them into English. Their work was hazardous.
Kinsel
Kinsel was a longtime resident of Lukachukai, Arizona, near the New Mexico state line. He was one of about 400 members of the Indigenous Navajo nation who used their native Dine language to help create a code that allowed the US military to communicate securely during World War II. The Axis powers never broke the code before their defeat.
His Duty
In 2015, Kinsel said that for a long time, no one knew his assignment during his service with the Marines. “Not even the Navajo nation knew,” Kinsel said. Then, in 1968, the government declassified the information. The code breakers were free to share how they helped in the war efforts.
Current Times
The US now annually recognizes August 14 as Navajo Code Talkers Day.
Kinsel’s “legacy … is marked not only by his service but by his continued dedication to sharing the story of the Navajo Code Talkers with future generations,” said Slater, who represents the Lukachukai community where Kinsel resided. A statement attributed to Ronald Kinsel said what his father “and the other code talkers accomplished changed the course of history and will always be remembered.
