A public memorial service will be held Friday for a Navajo Code Talker passionate about preserving the tribe’s legacy. Keith Little had envisioned a museum to honor the men who developed the unbreakable code during World War II.
Keith Little had hoped to see the museum built before he died of melanoma. His stepdaughter Sandra Willie said he was still trying to raise funds from his hospital bed.
"He wanted to see it for himself," Willie said. "He was really pushing for that. I wish he would’ve stayed with us a lot, lot longer. We will really miss him."
Little was President of the Navajo Code Talker Association.
"Nobody knew anything about the Navajo Code Talkers because of secrecy during the war. It took 24, 25 years," Little said in a video on the group’s website explaining his motivation.
The Marines had asked them to keep it a secret so they could continue to use it. After all, it’s believed that the code saved thousands of lives and helped end World War Two.
Even though it was declassified in 1968, many Navajo veterans remain silent heroes to this day. It’s estimated about 70 Navajo Code Talkers are still alive.
Little’s widow said he wanted to record their stories before they died.
"We will try harder to make that a reality, his dream," Nellie Little said.
They hope to see the museum built in the next two years near the border of Arizona and New Mexico.
Keith Little is survived by one son, several step children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was 87.
