The last living Navajo Codetalker: Chester Nez

There are multiple connections between  Louie Zamperini and Chester Nez. Both of these men were a part of World War Two. Both fought in the Pacific Theater and both are alive today and have shared their stories with the world, but the connection between these two is much deeper. To understand this connection we have to go back into both of their lives. In their childhoods the men both learned skills that would help them their during there service. Louie was quick and strong minded which helped him while he was in the POW camp; while Chester learned to become physically strong. By the age of five Chester was herding sheep and would walk at least 15 miles a day to get grazing grass for his herd. When Chester went to boarding school he learned English which allowed him to be bilingual and be able to write the code using more than one language. At home he learned from his family the traditions and the language of his native Navajo people on the reservation in which he lived on in New Mexico. Louie too learned from his family. Pete, Louie's brother, taught him to be respectful so he would be saved from the current eugenics movement going on in the country. Chester as a Navajo Indian has a great respect and knowledge for his culture which helped him in the long run when he created the code. Both of the men were very proud to have served their country and no matter that they were persecuted: Chester for being a Navajo and Louie for being Italian. During his presentation Chester Nez mentioned both of these things by saying: " I am very proud and happy to have been part of this experience. Even though in school I wasn't treated with respect, I am still proud to I say that I have served this country because it is my country." And Louie has showed his pride in his service and country by running the torch in the Olympics and by starting up a program to help unprivileged boys in our country. In conclusion, Louie and Chester have a connection much stronger than just fighting in World War Two, they have a deeper connection that can never be broken which is the pride and respect they have for the military and for their country.