Joe Palmer, 84; Navajo code talker served as a Marine in WWII
Joe Palmer, 84, one of the last of the Navajo code talkers from World War II, died Nov. 18 at the VA Medical Center in Tucson, his family said.
As a Marine in World War II, Palmer and 28 other code talkers created a code based on their native language to transmit military messages on enemy tactics, troop movements and other battlefield information by telegraph and radio.
According to the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C., the Navajo code talkers, who numbered more than 400 during the course of the war, took part in every assault the Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945 and were praised for their skill, speed and accuracy. Their work was impossible for the enemy to decode.
Surviving members received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001 for their service. At that time, only five of the original 29 remained; four are still alive.
After the war, Palmer and the others were told to keep the Navajo code a secret. Even after the information was declassified in 1968, they were reluctant to discuss it or take credit for their deeds.
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