Lloyd Oliver (April 23, 1923 – March 16, 2011) was an
American veteran of the
United States Marine Corps
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 combi ...
and one of the original 29 members of the
Navajo Code Talkers
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 ...
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 ...
, and the brother of fellow Code Talker
Willard Varnell Oliver.
Oliver served from 1942 to 1945, eventually attaining 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- ...
. His parents were Howard and Olive (Lee) Oliver.
[Indian Census Roll Census of the Navajo reservation of the Northern Navajo juristiction April 1831. NARA Series M595, Roll 304, Sheet 454, lines 568-571. (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967). ]
Oliver was awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal
The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, Lloyd
1923 births
2011 deaths
Congressional Gold Medal recipients
Navajo code talkers
People from Shiprock, New Mexico
People from Avondale, Arizona
Military personnel from New Mexico
20th-century Native Americans
21st-century Native Americans