add2e363-b3d0-47f1-9476-15de71bdb553

Begay, Thomas_WAPA-246_WAPA 4170_OralHist_Video.mp4

Thomas H. Begay was born in a small community at home, around [Navajo name] community called Checkerboard area, in New Mexico on February 2nd, 1927. His parents are Mary H. Begay and Charlie H. Begay, traditional Navajo people. Thomas has six brothers and three sisters, Thomas being the oldest. At age 13, Thomas left home for Fort Defiance Boarding School that was run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Arizona. While there, Thomas learned English. Running was a big thing for the Navajos, because they were told it built endurance. Thomas completed school until the 5th grade and then at age 16, joined the Marine Corps, on August 2nd, 1943. He was sent to Albuquerque for a physical. From there to Santa Fe. Thomas found boot camp to not be too difficult as he was used to marching everywhere while in boarding school. He did need to learn to swim, which he did in three days after being pushed in the pool. In weapons training, they learned to shoot the M-1. Thomas recalls having to wash his underwear every day to keep them white. They had no privileges at all during boot camp. They gave Thomas PFC out of the boot camp. Afterwards, he was sent to Camp Pendleton and there were a lot of Navajos there, going through Navajo Code Talker training. This is when he learned that he would be a Code Talker. The Code Talkers had to learn to climb poles with spikes on their legs and try to climb. Then they learned to string the wire. They also learned the field telephones and the switchboards. They learned how to talk over the radio and everything about communications. Then they went to code talking sessions to learn all the words. They were not allowed to take notes out of the room. Thomas recalls a sergeant that was teaching Navajo and they learned military terms. They had device and improvised the alphabet, names of ranks, divisions, companies, sections. This training took about three months to learn all the terms. When Thomas was done, he was put in the 5th Marine division Radio Platoon, Signal Company. Thomas gives a little history of the Navajo Code Talkers. There were 508 different terms by the time Thomas became a Code Talker. In his Division, there were 30 Navajos; all but two were Code Talkers. The Japanese never broke the code. Thomas’s division never fought in Saipan, they were off-shore on their ship and saw the battles from there. The biggest battle that Thomas fought in with his Division was in Iwo Jima. In 48 hours they sent over 800 messages. They started communication before even landing and then came to shore, which was a slow process with all the ships and debris and wounded being brought back to the ships. Thomas recalls the black sand which was hard to get footing. The ammunition was coming down all around him. They set up the communications inland and kept up the communications with headquarters. They stayed there until March 23rd, 1945. Thomas was also in the Korean War as a radio operator with a radio team and had five battle stars out of there. He was a member of the Chosen Few. He found that they were also the target because he enemy wanted to knock out the radio operators. It took until June of 1969 before the Code Talkers became known. They didn’t have any special recognition before that point. Thomas and his wife plan on returning to Iwo Jima for that anniversary. Thomas recalls being there for the flag raising at Mt. Suribachi. He knew Ira Hayes, and American Indian and one of the flag raisers, personally. He wants other Navajos to know about the Code Talkers, there are many who don’t know what went on. Thomas’ wife’s grandfather was a Navajo Scout back in the 1800’s. Their family has a long history of being in the military. At the time of this interview, Thomas’ three boys and one daughter were all in the military either reserve or active. Thomas is trying to get a monument on the reservation to honor the Code Talkers. Thomas’ wife Nina sings the Marine Corps Hymn in Navajo to finish off this interview.

U.S. National Park Service, War in the Pacific National Historical Park

This digital asset is in the public domain. This digital version was made possible through the National Park Service by a grant from the National Park Foundation through generous support from the Mellon Foundation. When using this asset for any purpose, including online, credit 'Courtesy U.S. National Parks'.

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War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Code: WAPA

Guam , Guam
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Guam , Guam
Latitude: 13.3905000686646, Longitude: 144.654006958008

ICMS (Interior Collection Managment System) : WAPA-00246
NPS Museum Number Catalog : WAPA 4170

War in the Pacific Oral Histories

2025/03/07

T. Stell Newman Visitor Center, Collections room, Safe and Shelf SLF D-01

Public Can View

Rose Manibusan, Jennifer Craig

Organization: American Memorial Park
Role: Chief Interpretation
Address: Micro Beach Road, Garapan, Mp 96950
Email: wapa_interpretation@nps.gov

Sunday, April 6, 2025 1:14:28 AM

Sunday, April 6, 2025 1:14:28 AM

Begay, Thomas_WAPA-246_WAPA 4170_OralHist_Video.mp4

mp4

1817.9 MB

Historic

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