- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
GALLUP, N.M. — The Navajo Nation remembered a war hero on Wednesday. Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer joined hundreds of Navajo citizens, family members, and loved ones at a memorial service to honor the life and memory of Navajo Code Talker Joe Vandever, Sr. at the El Morro Theatre in Gallup, N.M.
Vandever passed away on Jan. 31 at the age of 96 in Haystack, N.M.
During the service, Vice President Lizer presented the proclamation and a Navajo Nation flag to the family of Vandever, and offered his condolences on behalf of the Navajo people.
“As we mourn the loss of Navajo Code Talker Joe Vandever, Sr., we also honor and remember all his great sacrifices for our Navajo people and the entire country. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and community members as they lay him to rest,” said Vice President Lizer.
Vandever enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps in Santa Fe, N.M. on March 26, 1943, and was honorably discharged as Corporal on Jan. 22, 1946. He served in northern Solomons, Bougainville, Emirau Islands, Guam, Marianas Islands, Okinawa, Ryukyus Islands, Occupation of Japan, and Occupation of China. In 2001, he received the Congressional Silver Medal for his service as a Navajo Code Talker in World War II.
Vandever will be laid to rest on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 1:30 p.m. at the Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
More Stories Like This
Q+A: Journalist Connie Walker Reflects on Season 3 of 'Stolen' Podcast Investigating Navajo Nation MMIP CasesNative Bidaské with Sarah Eagle Heart (Oglála Lakota) on the Indigenous Fashion Collective
Twelve Cherokee Nation Cyclists, 950 Miles: The 40th Annual Remember the Removal Bike Ride
Leona Carlyle-Kakar (Ak-Chin), Instrumental in Securing the 1st Water Rights Settlement in Indian Country, Walks On
California Moves Forward with Pilot MMIP Program
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.