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Last original Navajo Code Talker Chester Nez being laid to rest






Chester Nez, one of the original Navajo Code Talkers, in 2013. Photo from Kansas University

Chester Nez, a member of the Navajo Nation who used his language to develop and transmit codes during World War II, is being laid to rest this morning.

The mass for Nez will be held from 10-11:30am at Our Lady of Fatima in Albuquerque. Burial service takes place from 1:30-2:15pm at Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe.

Nez was the last of the original 29 Navajo soldiers who developed an unbreakable code in their language. More than 300 of his fellow tribal members followed in his footsteps and used the code that helped the U.S. and its allies win the war.

Nez died on June 4 at the age of 93.

Get the Story:
Services to be held for Navajo Code Talker Nez (AP 6/10)
Co-author of Code Talker book remembers Chester Nez (KOB 6/9)
Last Navajo Code Talker, who recently died, had special connection to KU (The Lawrence Journal-World 6/8)

Some Opinions:
EDITORIAL: The last of the Navajo Code Talkers (The Washington Post 6/9)
Editorial: Country should never forget Code Talkers (The Clovis News Journal 6/9)
Editorial: A hero passes: Code Talker broke the mold (The Winston-Salem Journal 6/9)

Related Stories:
Simon Moya-Smith: Chester Nez punished for speaking Navajo (6/9)
Last original Navajo Code Talker Chester Nez passes on at 93 (6/5)

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