Original Navajo Code Talker Tells Story-- Part 1

From September 5th Goldsboro News-Argus "Original Navajo Code Talker Tells Story" by the Associated Press.

Only three of the original Code Talkers are still alive and two of them can no longer tell that story.

There were the Original 29, the first ones chosen by the US Army to develop a code based on their unwritten language that could be used to send military information over the airwaves in the Pacific Theater. The Japanese were never able to crack the code and valuable information was able to be dispersed by Americans in a quick and timely matter without the need for deciphering.

Thousands of messages were sent and received without error on Japanese troop movements, battlefield tactics and other communications. This helped greatly in the eventual US victory.

Eventually, there were hundreds of Code Talkers, but just those Original 29, now down to three.

And only one of those, Corporal Chester Nez, 89, is able to still tell the story. And, even he has lost both legs to diabetes. The other two are Lloyd Oliver who speaks, but his words are extremely difficult to make out and he is nearly deaf. The other, Allen dale June, 88, has a severe case of Alzheimer's.

The amazing thing is that these men would do so much for a country who treated their people so badly. I'm not sure that I would have had I been in their place.

Heroes, All. --Cooter