One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Chester Nez, last of the World War II Navajo 'Code Talkers,' dies at 93
This Nov. 29, 2009 photo shows Chester Nez talking about his time as a Navajo Code Talker in World War II from his home in Albuquerque, N.M.
(
Felicia Fonseca/AP
)
This Nov. 29, 2009 photo shows Navajo Code Talker Chester Nez looking at at an old photo with his grandson peering over his shoulder at their Albuquerque N.M.
(
Felicia Fonseca/AP
)
The last of the 29 Navajo "Code Talkers" — who developed an unbreakable code that helped win World War II — has died.
Chester Nez, of Albuquerque, N.M., died Wednesday morning of kidney failure. He was 93.
Judy Avila, who helped Nez write his memoirs, says Nez's death came unexpectedly.
Nez was in the 10th grade when a Marine recruiter went to the Navajo reservation looking for young men who were fluent in Navajo and English. Nez told the Associated Press in a 2010 interview that he kept the decision to enlist a secret from his family and lied about his age.
Nez became part of the 382nd Platoon tasked with developing a code that stumped the Japanese. Hundreds of Navajos followed in the footsteps of the original Code Talkers.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
