Thomas H. Begay carries the legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers at Cove ceremony
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Navajo Code Talker Thomas H. Begay salutes the late Navajo Code Talker John Kinsel Sr., on Friday at the Cove Chapter House in Cove, Ariz.
COVE, Ariz.
With his red garrison cap pulled snug above his weathered brow and his hands gently resting over silver-and-turquoise medallions, Navajo Code Talker Thomas H. Begay sat beneath the cottonwood shadows at the Cove Chapter House, honoring the memory of a fallen comrade – the late John Kinsel Sr.
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
U.S. Army veteran Bobby Negale, left, and Donald Track refold a flag during a refolding of the flag ceremony at the Cove Chapter in Cove, Ariz., on Friday.
Begay, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and Iwo Jima survivor, made the solemn journey with his son Ron Begay to attend the memorial for Kinsel, who passed last October at his home in Lukachukai. The 100-year-old Begay, dressed in the official yellow shirt of the Navajo Code Talkers Association and khaki pants symbolizing Mother Earth, carried the weight of history on his shoulders and around his neck. His silver Congressional Silver Medal, adorned with turquoise and inset, rested just above a concho belt and a lifetime of service.
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
A military veteran carefully refolds a flag on Friday in Cove, Ariz.
“Mr. Kinsel was always good with young people,” Begay recalled. “I think he was a bus driver or something. He was always interested in helping the kids on the basketball team. That is how I knew him––a good guy.”
Begay, one of the last surviving Code Talkers, had not planned to become one when he volunteered for service.
To read the full article, please see the June 5, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.
Get instant access to this story by purchasing one of our many e-edition subscriptions HERE at our Navajo Times Store.
Rate:
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow