Frank Tsosie Thompson (September 4, 1920 – June 2, 2008) was an American Navajo

code talker A code talker was a person employed by the military during wartime to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication. The term is now usually associated with United States service members during the world wars who used their k ...

in the

United States Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Biography

Thompson was born in

Crystal, New Mexico Crystal ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Navajo Nation in McKinley and San Juan counties in New Mexico, United States. The population was 311 at the 2010 census. It is located at the western end of the Narbona Pass. Descript ...

, on September 4, 1920. He attended board schools in

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

and

Fort Defiance, Arizona Fort Defiance ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. It is also located within the Navajo Nation. The population was 3,624 at the 2010 census. History The land on which Fort Defiance was eventu ...

. He enlisted in the United States Marines on the day he graduated from high school, May 5, 1942. Thompson served in the Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division during World War II. He served in a number of battles across the Pacific theater, including

Tarawa Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati
''

Abemana Atoll, Guadalcanal, Saipan and

Tinian Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the ...

. Thompson reached the rank of

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...

. He remained in the U.S. Marines from May 5, 1942, until September 17, 1945. Thompson attended

New Mexico Highlands University New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) is a public university in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Founded in 1893, it has satellite campuses in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Farmington and Roswell. NMHU has an average annual enrollment of approximate ...

from 1947 until 1948 after the war using the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

. He became a carpenter by profession. He worked in

maintenance Maintenance may refer to: Biological science * Maintenance of an organism * Maintenance respiration Non-technical maintenance * Alimony, also called ''maintenance'' in British English * Champerty and maintenance, two related legal doct ...

for the

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...

in Fort Defiance, Arizona, for 37½ years until his retirement in 1991. He was awarded the Congressional Silver Medal for his service as a

in 2001. Frank Thompson died of natural causes at the age of 87 on June 2, 2008, in Breadsprings, New Mexico. Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr ordered that all

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on the Navajo Nation be lowered to half staff from June 4 until June 7, 2008, in honor of Thompson. Shirley also issued a

proclamation A proclamation (Lat. ''proclamare'', to make public by announcement) is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. Proclamations are currently used within the governing framework of some nations ...

saying that Thompson "served the United States of America and the Navajo Nation with courage, honor and distinction." His funeral was held at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Gallup, New Mexico, and he was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery. Thompson was survived by his wife, Janet B. Thompson, his children Janice Thompson, Cassandra Bloedel, Floyd Thompson, Frankie Thompson, Terry Thompson, Francine Thompson and Valeri Llopis, and seven grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Frank Tsosie 1920 births 2008 deaths Navajo code talkers People from Crystal, New Mexico People from Fort Defiance, Arizona Military personnel from New Mexico 20th-century Native Americans 21st-century Native Americans