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“Our nation is forever indebted to these WWII heroes,” said Sen. John McCain.
One of the last living Navajo code talkers from World War II ― U.S. Marines who used the Navajo language to transmit secret tactical messages to outwit the Japanese ― has died.
David Patterson Sr. died on Sunday in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, at the age of 94 from pneumonia and complications from a fall. “He was brave until the very end, but was just not strong enough to overcome this battle,” his son Pat Patterson wrote.
Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye called Patterson a “national treasure.”
“Our nation is forever indebted to these WWII heroes,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) wrote in a tweet on Monday.
Patterson was among roughly 400 Navajo speakers who served as code talkers during the war. CIA story archives recount some initial skepticism of whether the code talkers would be useful to the Marines. But they soon proved their mettle.
From the archives:
A skeptical lieutenant decided to test their skills and the code before trusting them to deliver actual combat messages.
The Code Talkers successfully translated, transmitted and re-translated a test message in two and a half minutes. Without using the Navajo code, it could take hours for a soldier to complete the same task.
From then on, the Code Talkers were used in every major operation involving the Marines in the Pacific theater. Their primary job was to transmit tactical information over telephone and radio.
The Code Talkers successfully translated, transmitted and re-translated a test message in two and a half minutes. Without using the Navajo code, it could take hours for a soldier to complete the same task.
From then on, the Code Talkers were used in every major operation involving the Marines in the Pacific theater. Their primary job was to transmit tactical information over telephone and radio.
The code talkers’ contribution during the invasion of Iwo Jima in 1945 was invaluable. The code talkers sent more than 800 messages during the battle, according to the CIA. “All of the messages were transmitted without error.”
More: David Patterson, One Of The Last Living Navajo Code Talkers From WWII, Has Died
Bless you, Sir. Thank you for your honorable service to your country. May you rest in peace.