Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII

After returning from the Korean War, Nez resumed his studies at the University of Kansas and deepened his relationship with Ethel, a woman from the Where Two Waters Meet clan. The chapter discusses Navajo marriage traditions, particularly the strict clan-based restrictions that governed matrimonial choices. Individuals could not marry within their own clan or those related to their parents’ clans. Nez belonged to the Black Sheep clan, while his father came from the Sleeping Rock people, making members of these clans and their affiliated groups ineligible as potential spouses.

When Nez’s GI Bill funding expired during his third year of university, he relocated to Albuquerque. He and Ethel planned their 1952 wedding to blend Anglo and Native American traditions. The ceremony took place at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Arizona, with Nez wearing his Marine uniform instead of traditional Navajo attire, and Ethel choosing a white wedding dress. Following the church ceremony, the couple participated in a traditional Navajo blessing at Hunter’s Point, which was led by a medicine man. During this, both families offered advice about maintaining a good life and raising children.

After the wedding, Nez secured employment at the Veterans Administration Hospital, working in the paint shop where he discovered his talent for color mixing. His artistic abilities led him to create a mural in the VA chapel featuring stylized representations of the Ye’ii spirits, which, in Navajo tradition, are 12 powerful spirits who mediate between humans and their creator. While Nez successfully established himself in mainstream society, many fellow code talkers struggled to find acceptance and employment in “the white man’s world” despite their military service (256). Some turned to alcohol, leading to health issues, though they maintained their silence about the code talker program. The chapter ends with Nez’s assessment that his post-military life achieved balance, exemplifying the Navajo concept of walking in beauty—finding harmony regardless of circumstances.

Nez transitions from discussing his military service to examining his experiences as a father and hunter in 1950s New Mexico. The chapter illustrates how Nez balanced modern American life with traditional Navajo practices and beliefs.

The chapter begins with Nez’s introduction to hunting, an activity he had not practiced during his youth because his family raised livestock for meat. After moving to an urban area, Nez decided to learn hunting with two fellow veterans, Jake Morgan and Jack Begay. His first hunting experience demonstrated the deep connection between Navajo spiritual beliefs and interactions with nature. Nez adhered to traditional practices, like offering corn pollen as gratitude after taking a deer’s life, leaving the head and hooves at the kill site, and following specific butchering protocols. These customs stemmed from the Navajo belief that properly respected animals would communicate this treatment to others of their kind, maintaining natural harmony. Notably, Nez’s cultural beliefs prohibited hunting bears, which Navajo people regard as relatives deserving of grandfather-like respect.

The chapter then shifts to focus on Nez’s experiences with fatherhood and loss. His first child, a daughter named Georgann, died shortly after birth despite appearing physically normal except for minor injuries from a difficult delivery. This loss particularly affected Nez. He explains that Navajo culture places special value on daughters, who traditionally bring their husbands to live with them and contribute to their natal family, unlike sons who leave to join their wives’ families.

Nez and his wife Ethel went on to have four sons: Stanley, Michael, Ray, and Albert (nicknamed Chubby). However, tragedy struck again when two-year-old Chubby suffered a fatal head injury while disembarking from a train during a family visit. The death profoundly impacted the family, particularly Ethel, who struggled with intense grief. Shortly after this loss, an unexpected opportunity for healing arose when Ethel’s niece Francine had a baby she could not keep. Nez and Ethel adopted the infant boy. The chapter concludes with Nez expressing hope that this addition to the family would restore balance to their lives and prevent further misfortune.

This chapter chronicles the period from the 1968 declassification of the Navajo code through the early 2000s. After maintaining silence for 23 years, Nez could finally reveal his wartime role to his family. His father was particularly proud of him. Nez was grateful that his father had lived long enough for Nez to reveal the secret to him, since many of his friends and relatives had died before the code was declassified.

The period following declassification brought public recognition, including speaking engagements at Harvard and ceremonial honors from President Nixon in 1971. However, this time also marked the return of Nez’s combat-related nightmares, prompting him to seek healing through traditional Navajo ceremonies—first, an unsuccessful Enemy Way ceremony, followed by a healing Holy Way ceremony.

The narrative transitions to Nez’s personal life, describing his divorce from Ethel and his role as a single father to four sons. Following the tragic death of his eldest son Stanley in an automobile accident, Nez retired from the VA due to health issues and temporarily relocated to Chichiltah.

In 2000, the passage of the Honoring the Navajo Code Talkers Act led to the presentation of Congressional Gold Medals to the original 29 code talkers and silver medals to later participants. The chapter culminates in a description of the July 2001 Capitol Rotunda ceremony, with President George W. Bush presenting the medals. Subsequently, Nez became a prominent public figure, appearing on major television programs like Larry King Weekend and 60 Minutes, and giving interviews to National Geographic Magazine. The chapter concludes with Nez being asked to bless the Boston Red Sox in 2004, who had suffered from “the Curse of the Bambino” ever since they had sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees (271). For the first time since 1918, the team went on to win the World Series.

Nez recounts a communal gathering in 2009 that his extended family organized in his honor. At the age of 88 and adapting to life with a recent leg amputation, Nez attended this celebration in Chichiltah, the Checkerboard region of his childhood, accompanied by multiple generations of his family.

The celebration embodied a fusion of Navajo cultural traditions and American patriotic elements. The venue—a large tent decorated with American flags—reflected this dual heritage. Elder women wore traditional velvet garments and squash-blossom necklaces, while younger participants opted for contemporary clothing. Navajo military personnel presented multiple flags, including the American flag and Navajo Nation flag, while Miss Navajo Nation performed the national anthem in the Navajo language, highlighting the intersection of Native and American identities.

More than 100 guests attended, sharing a communal meal of traditional Navajo dishes. The celebration included both formal speeches about the code talkers’ military contributions and informal social interactions. While most speakers addressed the gathering in Navajo, Zonnie Gorman, daughter of fellow code talker Carl Gorman, delivered her historical presentation in English. Nez says there is a generational shift, noting that his own children did not speak Navajo fluently.

Tribal Chairman Joe Shirley presented Nez with a plaque, while families took photographs with him. Despite physical fatigue, Nez remained energized by the festivities, which continued through thunder and rain. The presence of grazing livestock, country-western music, and frequent laughter created an environment that honored both Nez’s military service and his Navajo heritage. The ceremony illustrated how his community integrated recognition of his wartime service with traditional cultural practices, and this reflected the evolving nature of Navajo culture.

Nez reflects on his life’s journey and the historical significance of the Navajo Code Talkers. Beginning as a young Navajo boy who spoke no English, he surpassed his initial aspirations for education, employment, and family life. He credits his decision to leave the reservation as pivotal, suggesting it greatly expanded his opportunities beyond what might have been possible had he remained.

The narrative traces Nez’s navigation of profound cultural transitions, from his traditional upbringing through military service and civilian life. Despite significant personal challenges—including the loss of children and the end of his marriage—Nez maintained his commitment to living honorably. He positions the code talkers’ story as a unique triumph in Navajo history, contrasting this with historical tragedies such as the Long Walk and the Great Livestock Massacre.

By 2011, Nez had experienced both personal losses and public recognition. He lost his son Ray and sister Dora in 2008. Over his lifetime, only two of his six children survived. In 2010, he participated in another celebration at Chichiltah alongside fellow code talkers Thomas Begay and Robert Wally, and they received honors from Navajo Tribal Chairman Joe Shirley. As the sole surviving member of the original 29 code talkers, Nez’s attendance carried particular significance. Despite health challenges, including the amputation of both legs due to diabetes complications in 2009 and 2010, Nez writes that he maintains an active role in preserving the code talkers’ legacy through public speaking and the publication of his memoir.