USMC WWII Navajo Code Talker
Published Desert Dispatch Newspaper, Barstow, San Bernardino Co. CA. 20 July 2011.
DAGGETT • As one of over 400 Navajo Code Talkers who served with the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II, Joe Morris was proud to serve his nation, but his family said he never called himself a hero.
In fact, Joe kept the secret of what he did during his time of service with the Marines until the information was declassified decades later in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan.
Joe, a long-time Daggett resident and former code talker, passed away Sunday at Loma Linda's Veteran's facility after complications from a stroke he suffered last November. Joe was 85 years old.
Navajo Code Talkers were brought into service after the U.S. began fighting with Japan in the Pacific Theater. Code after code with important information about the war was broken — until the Marines decided to use native Navajo speakers to provide critical communications.
Since the Navajo dialect never left the Southwest U.S. and the language was never written down, the Japanese had no way of learning it and the complicated nature of the language made it hard for others to learn. A total of 29 original code talkers were recruited to train another 400 Navajo to work as communicators.
Joe was only 17 when he joined the Marines by lying about his age, said Colleen Anderson, Joe's daughter. He was recruited to serve as a code talker shortly after joining the Marines and was shipped off to San Diego.
Even after the information about the code talkers was declassified and Joe began giving presentations about the code talkers to schools and colleges in the Southwest, he still never broke his modest ways, said Anderson.
"He just wasn't that kind of person," said Anderson. "He would say that he didn't do it alone. He would always include (the other code talkers) in presentations."
Joe was well known in the small Daggett community where he lived with his wife of 61 years, Charlotte. The couple had two sons — Joe Jr. and Elliott — along with their daughter Colleen. The couple also had three grandchildren — Chris Morris, Stephanie Morris and Nolen Anderson. Stephanie followed in her grandfather's footprints and joined the Marines.
Joe Jr. said that his father was always devoted to his children and grandchildren, and even gave Stephanie a warrior name in the Navajo culture before she was deployed to Iraq for her first tour of duty. During her deployment, Joe would then offer a prayer for Stephanie every day to keep her protected. Stephanie returned from her second tour last September.
Elliott said his father worked at the Marine Corps Logistics Base for over 35 years and became well-known as a result.
"When I went with him somewhere on shopping trips, someone would always call his name," said Elliott.
Joe Jr. said his father always helped others in the Daggett community.
"He was the kind of person who was always there when you needed him," said Joe Jr. "He was always there for us."
∼In Memory of Joe Morris, Navajo Code Talker, USMC
Service will take place on Monday, July 25th, 2011 at East Hills Community Church, 20660 Orange Terrace Parkway, Riverside, CA 92508
Viewing 10:30 - 11:30 (family only)
Service 11:30 - 12:30
Burial will be at the National Cemetery in Riverside at 1:00 p.m., 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92518
In lieu of sending flowers, donations maybe made to the following Bank Of America Account #2454773221
Published Desert Dispatch Newspaper, Barstow, San Bernardino Co. CA. 20 July 2011.
DAGGETT • As one of over 400 Navajo Code Talkers who served with the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II, Joe Morris was proud to serve his nation, but his family said he never called himself a hero.
In fact, Joe kept the secret of what he did during his time of service with the Marines until the information was declassified decades later in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan.
Joe, a long-time Daggett resident and former code talker, passed away Sunday at Loma Linda's Veteran's facility after complications from a stroke he suffered last November. Joe was 85 years old.
Navajo Code Talkers were brought into service after the U.S. began fighting with Japan in the Pacific Theater. Code after code with important information about the war was broken — until the Marines decided to use native Navajo speakers to provide critical communications.
Since the Navajo dialect never left the Southwest U.S. and the language was never written down, the Japanese had no way of learning it and the complicated nature of the language made it hard for others to learn. A total of 29 original code talkers were recruited to train another 400 Navajo to work as communicators.
Joe was only 17 when he joined the Marines by lying about his age, said Colleen Anderson, Joe's daughter. He was recruited to serve as a code talker shortly after joining the Marines and was shipped off to San Diego.
Even after the information about the code talkers was declassified and Joe began giving presentations about the code talkers to schools and colleges in the Southwest, he still never broke his modest ways, said Anderson.
"He just wasn't that kind of person," said Anderson. "He would say that he didn't do it alone. He would always include (the other code talkers) in presentations."
Joe was well known in the small Daggett community where he lived with his wife of 61 years, Charlotte. The couple had two sons — Joe Jr. and Elliott — along with their daughter Colleen. The couple also had three grandchildren — Chris Morris, Stephanie Morris and Nolen Anderson. Stephanie followed in her grandfather's footprints and joined the Marines.
Joe Jr. said that his father was always devoted to his children and grandchildren, and even gave Stephanie a warrior name in the Navajo culture before she was deployed to Iraq for her first tour of duty. During her deployment, Joe would then offer a prayer for Stephanie every day to keep her protected. Stephanie returned from her second tour last September.
Elliott said his father worked at the Marine Corps Logistics Base for over 35 years and became well-known as a result.
"When I went with him somewhere on shopping trips, someone would always call his name," said Elliott.
Joe Jr. said his father always helped others in the Daggett community.
"He was the kind of person who was always there when you needed him," said Joe Jr. "He was always there for us."
∼In Memory of Joe Morris, Navajo Code Talker, USMC
Service will take place on Monday, July 25th, 2011 at East Hills Community Church, 20660 Orange Terrace Parkway, Riverside, CA 92508
Viewing 10:30 - 11:30 (family only)
Service 11:30 - 12:30
Burial will be at the National Cemetery in Riverside at 1:00 p.m., 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92518
In lieu of sending flowers, donations maybe made to the following Bank Of America Account #2454773221
USMC WWII Navajo Code Talker
Published Desert Dispatch Newspaper, Barstow, San Bernardino Co. CA. 20 July 2011.
DAGGETT • As one of over 400 Navajo Code Talkers who served with the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II, Joe Morris was proud to serve his nation, but his family said he never called himself a hero.
In fact, Joe kept the secret of what he did during his time of service with the Marines until the information was declassified decades later in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan.
Joe, a long-time Daggett resident and former code talker, passed away Sunday at Loma Linda's Veteran's facility after complications from a stroke he suffered last November. Joe was 85 years old.
Navajo Code Talkers were brought into service after the U.S. began fighting with Japan in the Pacific Theater. Code after code with important information about the war was broken — until the Marines decided to use native Navajo speakers to provide critical communications.
Since the Navajo dialect never left the Southwest U.S. and the language was never written down, the Japanese had no way of learning it and the complicated nature of the language made it hard for others to learn. A total of 29 original code talkers were recruited to train another 400 Navajo to work as communicators.
Joe was only 17 when he joined the Marines by lying about his age, said Colleen Anderson, Joe's daughter. He was recruited to serve as a code talker shortly after joining the Marines and was shipped off to San Diego.
Even after the information about the code talkers was declassified and Joe began giving presentations about the code talkers to schools and colleges in the Southwest, he still never broke his modest ways, said Anderson.
"He just wasn't that kind of person," said Anderson. "He would say that he didn't do it alone. He would always include (the other code talkers) in presentations."
Joe was well known in the small Daggett community where he lived with his wife of 61 years, Charlotte. The couple had two sons — Joe Jr. and Elliott — along with their daughter Colleen. The couple also had three grandchildren — Chris Morris, Stephanie Morris and Nolen Anderson. Stephanie followed in her grandfather's footprints and joined the Marines.
Joe Jr. said that his father was always devoted to his children and grandchildren, and even gave Stephanie a warrior name in the Navajo culture before she was deployed to Iraq for her first tour of duty. During her deployment, Joe would then offer a prayer for Stephanie every day to keep her protected. Stephanie returned from her second tour last September.
Elliott said his father worked at the Marine Corps Logistics Base for over 35 years and became well-known as a result.
"When I went with him somewhere on shopping trips, someone would always call his name," said Elliott.
Joe Jr. said his father always helped others in the Daggett community.
"He was the kind of person who was always there when you needed him," said Joe Jr. "He was always there for us."
∼In Memory of Joe Morris, Navajo Code Talker, USMC
Service will take place on Monday, July 25th, 2011 at East Hills Community Church, 20660 Orange Terrace Parkway, Riverside, CA 92508
Viewing 10:30 - 11:30 (family only)
Service 11:30 - 12:30
Burial will be at the National Cemetery in Riverside at 1:00 p.m., 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92518
In lieu of sending flowers, donations maybe made to the following Bank Of America Account #2454773221
Published Desert Dispatch Newspaper, Barstow, San Bernardino Co. CA. 20 July 2011.
DAGGETT • As one of over 400 Navajo Code Talkers who served with the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II, Joe Morris was proud to serve his nation, but his family said he never called himself a hero.
In fact, Joe kept the secret of what he did during his time of service with the Marines until the information was declassified decades later in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan.
Joe, a long-time Daggett resident and former code talker, passed away Sunday at Loma Linda's Veteran's facility after complications from a stroke he suffered last November. Joe was 85 years old.
Navajo Code Talkers were brought into service after the U.S. began fighting with Japan in the Pacific Theater. Code after code with important information about the war was broken — until the Marines decided to use native Navajo speakers to provide critical communications.
Since the Navajo dialect never left the Southwest U.S. and the language was never written down, the Japanese had no way of learning it and the complicated nature of the language made it hard for others to learn. A total of 29 original code talkers were recruited to train another 400 Navajo to work as communicators.
Joe was only 17 when he joined the Marines by lying about his age, said Colleen Anderson, Joe's daughter. He was recruited to serve as a code talker shortly after joining the Marines and was shipped off to San Diego.
Even after the information about the code talkers was declassified and Joe began giving presentations about the code talkers to schools and colleges in the Southwest, he still never broke his modest ways, said Anderson.
"He just wasn't that kind of person," said Anderson. "He would say that he didn't do it alone. He would always include (the other code talkers) in presentations."
Joe was well known in the small Daggett community where he lived with his wife of 61 years, Charlotte. The couple had two sons — Joe Jr. and Elliott — along with their daughter Colleen. The couple also had three grandchildren — Chris Morris, Stephanie Morris and Nolen Anderson. Stephanie followed in her grandfather's footprints and joined the Marines.
Joe Jr. said that his father was always devoted to his children and grandchildren, and even gave Stephanie a warrior name in the Navajo culture before she was deployed to Iraq for her first tour of duty. During her deployment, Joe would then offer a prayer for Stephanie every day to keep her protected. Stephanie returned from her second tour last September.
Elliott said his father worked at the Marine Corps Logistics Base for over 35 years and became well-known as a result.
"When I went with him somewhere on shopping trips, someone would always call his name," said Elliott.
Joe Jr. said his father always helped others in the Daggett community.
"He was the kind of person who was always there when you needed him," said Joe Jr. "He was always there for us."
∼In Memory of Joe Morris, Navajo Code Talker, USMC
Service will take place on Monday, July 25th, 2011 at East Hills Community Church, 20660 Orange Terrace Parkway, Riverside, CA 92508
Viewing 10:30 - 11:30 (family only)
Service 11:30 - 12:30
Burial will be at the National Cemetery in Riverside at 1:00 p.m., 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92518
In lieu of sending flowers, donations maybe made to the following Bank Of America Account #2454773221
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