Judge W. Dean Wilson

File — Box: 1, Volume: 1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

W. Dean Wilson, now a judge of the courts of the Navajo nation, was a Staff Sergeant in the US Marine Corps Reserve. He joined when he was sixteen, in 1942, and was one of the original twenty-nine code talkers. He had trouble with Morse code at first, but the other codes he learned easily. He was sent to Tarawa and was involved in heavy fighting. As a code talker, he had to carry extra loads of batteries for the radios, which were heavy. He was treated well by the other Marines and helped with kitchen and guard duty as well as code talking. After the war, Wilson stayed with the Marines. He served in the Korean Wa. He retired in 1967.

Dates

1971

Language of Materials

From the Collection: Collection materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.