This is the VIC 4 VETS, Weekly Honored Veteran.
SUBMITTED BY: @NativeAmerican_ on X
Code Talker Thomas H. Begay
Thomas H. Begay was born on November 26, 1926, in a traditional Navajo hogan in a remote area south of Gallup, New Mexico, near Chichiltah and is one of the two last surviving Code Talkers from WWII.
He grew up speaking only the Navajo language until age 13, when he was sent to an Indian boarding school in Fort Defiance, Arizona, where he learned English.
Inspired by the attack on Pearl Harbor, Begay enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at age 16 in September 1943, though his age was considered flexible at the time.
Military Service Initially aspiring to become an aerial gunner, Begay was instead selected for the Navajo Code Talkers program due to his fluency in Navajo.
He completed specialized training and was assigned to the 5th Marine Division's Signal Company, specifically the 27th Marine Regiment.
As one of approximately 400 Navajo Code Talkers, he helped develop and use an unbreakable code based on the Navajo language (Diné) to transmit secure messages during World War II.
He served in the Pacific theater, notably during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, where he was sent as a replacement for a Code Talker killed in action.
On the first day of the battle, two Code Talkers were killed and three wounded; Begay transmitted hundreds of error-free messages, contributing to the Allies' success by confounding Japanese codebreakers.
He was honorably discharged from the Marines in July 1946.
In 1947, Begay reenlisted in the U.S. Army as a communications specialist and paratrooper with the 7th Infantry Division.
He saw intense combat during the Korean War, including surviving the brutal Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in late 1950.
He left the military in 1953.
Post-War Life and Career After his military service, Begay worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for 40 years on the Navajo Nation reservation.
He began as an employment assistance officer, helping Navajos access jobs and education, and advanced to Agency Superintendent of the Chinle Agency, overseeing tribal trust programs.
Motivated by his own experiences, he encouraged others, stating, "If I can be a Code Talker, any Navajo can go out and be anything."
Begay has remained active in the Navajo Code Talkers Association, traveling to speak publicly, and has written and performed songs in Navajo about World War II.
He resides in Window Rock, Arizona, and is described as a community leader and family man.
Honors and Legacy Begay's military honors include the Presidential Unit Citation with three Bronze Stars, the Meritorious Unit Citation, and the Korean Service Medal with five Bronze Stars.
In 2001, he was awarded the Congressional Silver Medal for his service as a Navajo Code Talker.
In 2023, he served as the World War II Veteran Grand Marshal in the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade.
As of November 2025, at age 98 (turning 99), Begay is one of only two surviving Navajo Code Talkers, alongside Peter MacDonald.
His contributions symbolize Indigenous valor, resilience, and the pivotal role of Navajo Code Talkers in U.S. military history.
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Nov 22 202547 m
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