WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — John Kinsel Sr., a distinguished Navajo Code Talker who played a pivotal role in transmitting secure messages during World War II, has passed away at the age of 107.
Navajo Nation officials in Window Rock confirmed Kinsel’s passing on Saturday.
Tribal President Buu Nygren has ordered that all flags on the reservation be flown at half-staff until sunset on October 27, paying tribute to Kinsel’s legacy.
“Mr. Kinsel was a Marine who bravely and selflessly fought for all of us in the most terrifying circumstances with the greatest responsibility as a Navajo Code Talker,” Nygren stated on Sunday.
With Kinsel’s passing, only two Navajo Code Talkers remain: Former Navajo Chairman Peter MacDonald and Thomas H. Begay.
Hundreds of Navajos were recruited by the U.S. Marine Corps to serve as Code Talkers during the war, using their unique and then-unwritten language to transmit coded messages.
They successfully thwarted enemy cryptographic efforts, participating in key battles in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945, including the campaigns at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima.
The Code Talkers were instrumental in sending thousands of error-free messages regarding troop movements and battlefield strategies, crucial to the success of the war effort.
Kinsel was born in Cove, Arizona, and was a resident of the Navajo community in Lukachukai.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942 and served with distinction as a Code Talker during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
In 1982, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed Navajo Code Talkers Day, honoring the contributions of all tribes involved in the war effort.
This important day is recognized as a holiday in Arizona and within the Navajo Nation, which spans northeast Arizona, northwest New Mexico, and southeast Utah.
