Navajo Code Talker and Iwo Jima Hero | Thomas Begay
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Published 2021-02-23
Begay enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943 at the age of 16. He was selected as one of the 33 Navajo Code Talkers to be assigned to the renowned 5th Marine Division Signal Company and in the Radio Section of the H & S Company, 27th Marines. The Navajo Code Talkers developed and used a secret coded Navajo language for radio communication in the Marine Corps battle campaign. During the Battle of Iwo Jima, Private First Class Begay transmitted hundreds of secret messages over the radio network from H-Hour, 19 February 1945 to 27 March 1945. The Navajo Code Talkers were so effective that the Japanese cryptographers were completely baffled and were never able to break that code. Major Howard M. Conner, signal officer of the Fifth Marine Division at Iwo Jima said: “during the first 48 hours while we were landing and consolidating our shore positions, I had six Navajo radio networks operating around the clock. In that period along, they sent and received over 800 messages without an error. Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima and win the war”.
Thomas H Begay was honorably discharged from the Marines as a Lance Corporal in 1946. He then served in the US Army during the Korean War as a parachutist, glider-man and in combat with the 7th Infantry Division in North Korea. He is a survivor of the Chosin Reservoir battle in November to December, 1950 against the Korean and Chinese forces. He was honorably discharged in 1953. Among his many awards are the Presidential Unit Citation with three Bronze Stars and the Meritorious Unit Citation with the Korean Service Medal with five Bronze Stars. Years later in 2001, he received the Congressional Medal from President George W. Bush.
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All Comments (21)
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An actual code talker…..if people only realized how fortunate we are to hear this!!! THANK YOU!!!!
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I have read that the Navajo language was the only code the Japanese could not break and saved a lot of lives
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Shame on the people who voted Thumbs Down to this veteran's story. What the hell is wrong with you? Seriously....
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These men truly were "The Greatest Generation"!
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This is what a real hero looks like, thank you for your service 🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷
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... A National Treasure ...
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We almost lost the Navajo language to history, thank goodness a few decades ago many of the tribal elders were asked to teach the younger generations the language. I experienced this first hand as growing up in the 60s we were told not to speak Navajo only English.
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Thank you for everything you did for this Nation. All of the Code Talkers deserve the highest award for their dedication, courage, and sacrifice.
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Whoa!!!!! This guy is just awesome. 17 years old. I could barely tie my shoes when I was 17. He was volunteering to go to war. These WW2 veterans are just another credit to our great nation. Thank you!!!
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Thomas brings a totally different view to the Iwo Jima Campaign, he knew far more that he was saying, such a humble man.
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Thomas Begay, I have had the honor to meet Peter MacDonald. You Elders are so Precious! Thank you!
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Bless his heart. America, wake up, repent, honor those who served with your own life of service and commitment to Liberty and Freedom, and bless God, Great Spirit.
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Thomas Bagay thank you for your service with compassion honor and equality We admire you and again thank you Sir.
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God bless him, he and other code talkers, saved thousands by Protecting communications. Real Heroes!
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He is amazing so humble that he is smarter than more people who don’t understand how simple he understood the military learning system.
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My son is half Navajo and it’s crazy how much he looks like them.
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Amazing memory. The amount of detail he remembers is just amazing. I love hearing these older veterans.
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The spirit of this man is very strong it's a shame this nation will never be able to repay all the respect that they deserve.to all the native Brothers that were in the war may your spirits always be strong.
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...Give a smile, a nod, a handshake, a pat on the back, a hug, or a salute, to every military veteran you see...And tell them thank you for everything they sacrifice for us...Honor, love, and remember them, they truly deserve it!!!
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I love the way he remembers everything. He remembers everyone's name.
