Thomas H. Begay, Navajo Code Talker of World War II, tells his story from his roots in the heart of Navajo territory to the front lines of America’s bloodiest battles on Nov. 2, 2023. Begay served at the battle of Iwo Jima as well as the Chosin Reservoir, and went on to serve in the Bureau of Indian Affairs as an employment assistance officer, aiding hundreds of Navajos in finding skills and jobs. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Joshua Munsen and Cpl. Oneg Plisner)
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Troy E. Black was in the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps (JROTC) in high school. Black shared with me a little bit of his prequel, one that predates his time in the Marine Corps, but would come to define it and his life as a whole.
The Navy and Marine Corps welcome their newest naval Aviator, U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Brenda McCarthy at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., May 27, 2021.
