Mourning the Death of a Code-Talker

[Danno 1,228]

These guys saved countless lives and should not pass unnoticed.

Wasn't there a movie made about these guys in the last decade, I think Nicholas Cage was in it... did anyone see it was it any good?

Navajo Nation mourns passing of Code Talker

Wed Oct 14, 8:29 pm ET

PRESCOTT, Ariz. – Willard Varnell Oliver, a member of the Navajo Code Talkers who confounded the Japanese during World War II by transmitting messages in their native language, died Wednesday. He was 88.

Lawrence Oliver said his father died at the Northern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care System Hospital in Prescott, Ariz. He had been declining health for the past two years.

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. ordered flags on the Navajo Nation to be flown at half-staff from Oct. 15-19 in honor of Oliver, who is at least the fifth Code Talker to die since May.

Oliver was part of an elite group of Navajo Marines who confused the Japanese during World War II by transmitting messages in Navajo.

The Code Talkers took part in every assault the Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. Their work was declassified in 1968.

Oliver, who grew up between Shiprock and Farmington, N.M., served in the South Pacific with the 2nd Marine Division from 1943 to 1945. He was wounded during the battle of Saipan of 1944.

Oliver's brother, Lloyd Oliver, was also a member of the elite group.

His funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday in his hometown of Lukachukai.

[Peikko 1,575]

[Ban Hammer 12,840]

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Hágoónee Nabaju Ahiga

[almaty 19]

i met a couple of them when i worked in Zuni..they were both counselors, sadly i cannot remember their names..

rest in peace..old warrior

[Nagishkaw 510]

[cdneh 3,112]

[john & jean 37]

[alienlovechild 75]

These guys saved countless lives and should not pass unnoticed.

Wasn't there a movie made about these guys in the last decade, I think Nicholas Cage was in it... did anyone see it was it any good?

Been a while since I saw it but aside from some nice CGI battle effects, it wasn't that good. It pissed me off that once again the focus of film has be a white guy even if it's secondary to subject of the story. The BS that Marines were told to kill code talkers from falling into enemy hands made it even worse.

"The 2002 movie Windtalkers was a fictional story based on Navajo code talkers who were enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II. The movie was criticized for featuring the Navajo characters only in supporting roles; they were not the primary focus of the film.[19] The film fabricated a story about white bodyguards being ordered to kill them should they fall into enemy hands. It was further criticized for use of stereotypes of both Native Americans and east Asians."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_talker

[Danno 1,228]

After reading up on the Code-Talkers, I see it was more complicated and interesting piece of history.

SOme interesting notes:

- started in WW1

- Hitler foresaw their use and sent linguist to learn Indian languages (which proved too difficult as there are many)

-One Native indian was Capture during the Batan Deathmarch and was tortured in an attempt to break the code.

- They were used up into the beginning of the Vietnam war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_talker

[William33 110]

I had learned about this concept in a previous job.

What a brilliant idea it was, to use a unique language in the defense of the United States!

Mr. Oliver is/was a true patriot.

[Scott & Lai 12]

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

RIP... and thank you

[scandal 951]