John Kinsel Sr., one of the last Navajo Code Talkers who relayed crucial messages using the Navajo language during World War II, has passed away at the age of 107.
Navajo Nation leaders in Window Rock confirmed Kinsel’s death on Saturday. In his honor, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren has ordered flags across the reservation to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Oct. 27.
John Kinsel Sr. was one of the Navajo Code Talkers alive
“Mr. Kinsel served as a Marine with courage and dedication, facing immense danger as a Navajo Code Talker for the safety and freedom of all,” Nygren said in a statement on Sunday.
With Kinsel’s passing, only two Navajo Code Talkers remain: Former Navajo Chairman Peter MacDonald and Thomas H. Begay. During the war, the Marines enlisted hundreds of Navajos to serve as Code Talkers, using their then-unwritten language to transmit vital military communications.
The Navajo Code Talkers baffled Japanese military cryptologists during World War II and took part in every major Marine assault in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945, including battles at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima.
They transmitted thousands of flawless messages about Japanese troop movements, battlefield strategies, and other vital communications, playing a crucial role in the war’s final victory.
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