- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Flags on the Navajo Nation are flying at half-staff to honor the life and passing of of Diné World War II veteran Bennie S. Cowboy. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the South Pacific during the war. Cowboy passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. He was 95.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer issued a proclamation calling for all flags on the Navajo Nation to be flown at half-staff on Nov. 10, 2021.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
“As we mourn the loss of our Diné warrior, Bennie S. Cowboy, we also honor and remember all his great sacrifices for our Navajo people and the United States. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Rita, his children and grandchildren, and the Mariano Lake community. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather who cherished his family. We pray that his family takes comfort in knowing that he is now with God at this time,” President Nez said.
Bennie S. Cowboy is Tó'aheedlíinii (Two Waters Flowing Together) and born for Bit'ahnii (His Sheaves under His Cover Clan), and he was born in Naalini, located northwest of Pinedale, N.M.
Cowboy served in the U.S. Marine Corps with the 6th Marine Division, 22nd Marines, 3rd Platoon, C-Battery, during the World War II South Pacific Campaign as an accomplished Marksman. He was wounded in Okinawa in March 1945, and honorably discharged. He returned to the Navajo Nation following his honorable discharge to support his family.
Council Delegate Edmund Yazzie, who represents Cowboy’s home community, as a member of the 24th Navajo Nation Council also paid tribute and offered his condolences.
“We honor and give thanks for the life of Bennie S. Cowboy. Despite being wounded in battle, he persevered and built a legacy for his family while giving back to his community. I had the honor of knowing Mr. Cowboy for many years. To his family, we offer our condolences as we pray for strength for his loved ones,” Delegate Yazzie said.
Survivors include his wife, Rita J. Cowboy, his children Gailene Morgan, Lorraine Cowboy, and Judy A. Cowboy, 14 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren.
The funeral service for Bennie S. Cowboy will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. (MST) at Cope Memorial Chapel in Gallup, N.M.
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.
