One of the last surviving Navajo Code Talkers died in Southern Utah at age 94

Samuel Tom Holiday, one of the last surviving World War II Navajo Code Talkers, died in Southern Utah at age 94 on Monday surrounded by friends and family who traveled to be with him.

Holiday was known in the area for his attendance at veterans events and his visits sharing his experiences with schoolchildren. He spent his later days living at the Southern Utah Veterans Home in Ivins. He will be buried on the Navajo Reservation, in Kayenta, Arizona, next to his wife.

Twenty-nine Navajos were recruited to launch the Code Talkers program, but there were more than 400 by the end of the war. Navajo leaders believe fewer than 10 Code Talkers are still alive today. The exact number is unknown because the program remained classified for decades after the war.

Source: The Spectrum