Navajo Nation mourns passing of Code Talker Roy Hawthorne at age of 92

Monday, April 23, 2018

Roy Hawthorne, Sr., one of the hundreds of Navajo Nation citizens who served as Code Talkers during World War II, passed away on Saturday. He was 92.

Hawthorne was only 17 years old when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. After training at Camp Pendleton in California, he was shipped to the Pacific, where the use of the Navajo language was considered key to the victory by the U.S. and its allies.

“Code Talker Hawthorne is highly respected,” President Russell Begaye said in a press release on Monday. “He was not only a hero and a warrior, but also as a true spokesman who worked on behalf of the welfare of the Navajo Code Talkers consistently. It is a privilege to have known him and I extend my condolences to his family, his fellow Navajo Code Talkers and his comrades.”

For his efforts, Hawthorne was recognized decades later with a Congressional Silver Medal in 2001. But his military career hadn't ended with World War II -- he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War.

"The Navajo Nation Council offers our appreciation and prayers to the family of Roy Hawthorne, for his countless contributions and distinct service for our Navajo people and our country.” Speaker LoRenzo Bates said in a press release.

Navajo Code Talkers Peter MacDonald, on right, and Roy Hawthorne recognized at Native Nations Inaugural Ball pic.twitter.com/101hEOSLp3
— indianz.com (@indianz) January 21, 2017

Hawthorne remained active even in his older years. He served as vice president of the Navajo Code Talkers Association and frequently traveled around the country to educate Americans about the contributions of his fellow recruits.

“I always stress to people that we aren’t heroes,” Hawthorne said when he returned to Camp Pendleton in 2015. “We were chosen to serve in the Marine Corps and bring liberty to the enemy. I loved every bit of it and I would do it all over again.”

In November, Hawthorne attended a Native American Heritage Month ceremony at the White House, which tribal leaders said President Donald Trump marred by trotting out his “Pocahontas” slur against a political rival. Though Hawthorne never spoke publicly about the incident, he had spoken approvingly of the incoming president at the Native Nations Inaugural Ball on January 20, 2017.

Visitation for Hawthorne will be held on Thursday at 5pm at the Rollie Mortuary in Tse Bonito, New Mexico. Funeral service takes place on Friday, starting at 10:00am at Tsé Si áni Baptist Church in Lupton, Arizona.

The 29 original Code Talkers, who were awarded Congressional Gold Medals for their service, all have passed on. They were the ones who developed the code in the Navajo language.

About 300 to 400 Navajos followed in their footsteps by using the code to transmit and receive messages. Their secret code was never broken and the project remained classified until 1968.

The surviving Code Talkers are in their late 80s and 90s. The eldest is Fleming Begaye, Sr., who is 97. He also was present at the White House ceremony in November and served as the honorary co-chair of Trump's Native American Coalition during the presidential campaign.