Navajo Code Talker John Kinsel Sr. passes away at 107
By Miguel Ortiz
Posted on Oct 22, 2024 8:54 AM PDT
Reviewed By Tessa Robinson
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During WWII, hundreds of Navajo Native Americans were recruited by the U.S. Marine Corps. Using their native Navajo Diné bizaad language, these Marines transmitted messages in a code that Japanese cryptologists were unable to break. The clandestine communication saved lives on the battlefield and was vital to success in the Pacific. Following the passing of John Kinsel, Sr. on October 19, 2024, only two Navajo Code Talkers are still alive.
The Navajo code was never broken (U.S. Capitol Historical Society)
According to the Navajo Times, Kinsel was born in 1917 in Cove, Arizona. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps on October 10, 1942. Kinsel completed boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego before reporting to nearby Camp Elliott, California. There, Kinsel worked with other Navajo Marines to translate their native tongue into an unbreakable code. The Navajo for “turtle,” or “Chay-Da-Gahi,” was used for “tank.” In an interview with The Arizona Republic, Kinsel recounted that this was chosen because of the slow speed that tanks move at. In making the code, the Navajo Marines never changed their language; they only applied it creatively. “Our language was always the same,” Kinsel told The Arizona Republic.
https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/navajo-code-talker-john-kinsel-sr-passes-away-at-107/
