A venerable Navajo Code Talker, who served in World War II, passes away at the age of 107.
Navajo Nation authorities in Window Rock declared the demise of Kinsel on a Saturday.
Nygren, the tribal president, has instructed all flags on the reservation to be flown at half-mast until October 27, as the sun sets, in memory of Kinsel.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Nygren mentioned, "Mr. Kinsel was a Marine who showed remarkable bravery and selflessness as he fought for us all under the most harrowing circumstances, carrying the heaviest responsibility as a Navajo Code Talker."
With Kinsel's passing, only two Navajo Code Talkers remain alive: MacDonald, the former Navajo chairman, and Begay, Thomas H.
During the war, numerous Navajos were tapped by the Marines to serve as Code Talkers, transmitting messages based on their then-unwritten native language.
They proved to be a bane for Japanese military cryptologists during World War II and took part in all Marine-led assaults in the Pacific, between 1942 and 1945. These locations included Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima.
The Code Talkers flawlessly transmitted thousands of messages regarding Japanese troop movements, battlefield strategies, and other crucial war communications.
Born in Cove, Arizona, Kinsel resided in the Navajo community of Lukachukai.
He enlisted in the Marines in 1942 and subsequently became an elite Code Talker, serving with the 9th Marine Regiment and the 3rd Marine Division during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Reagan, the U.S President, declared Navajo Code Talkers Day in 1982, and the August 14 celebration honors all tribes associated with the war effort. This day serves as an Arizona state holiday and a Navajo Nation holiday on the expansive reservation that encompasses portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah.
In Nygren's statement, he expressed that Kinsel's service was invaluable to them all, as he displayed bravery and selflessness as a Marine and a Navajo Code Talker, fighting for "us."
The tribal president's decision to lower the flags on the reservation until October 27 is a testament to the deep respect and gratitude they hold for Kinsel, a fellow Navajo and an American hero.
