Jerry ClasChee Begay Sr. (December 8, 1924 – May 26, 2008) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
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 opposin ...
veteran
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military.
A military veteran that has ...
Begay was born on December 8, 1924, in Sheep Springs, New Mexico. His parents were Clauschee Begay and . He was a member of the clan and was born for the . Begay attended Toadlena Boarding School and Fort Wingate High School.
He enlisted in the United States Marines when he was 17 years old while he was still a student at Fort Wingate High School. He served in the Second Marine division, 297th Platoon, as a Navajo Code Talker during World War II. Among the battles in which he served was the American invasion of the island of
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
Kiribati
Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),Kiribati ''The Wor ...
. Begay was wounded during World War II and was awarded the
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...
honorable discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and th ...
and left the U.S. Marines in 1945.
Begay began working at the Phelps Dodge Copper Mining Company in
Morenci, Arizona
Morenci is a census-designated place (CDP) and company town in Greenlee County, Arizona, United States, and was founded by the Detroit Copper Mining Company of Arizona. The population was 2000 at the 2000 census and 1,489 at the 2010 census. Th ...
, shortly after the end of World War II. He remained at the company for 33 years until his retirement in 1982. He also worked in community service, including at the Tsaile Health Center, in the towns of
Tsaile
Tsaile ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States, on the Navajo Nation. The population was 1,205 at the 2010 census.
Tsaile is the home of the main campus of Diné College (formerly Navajo Community Col ...
and
Lukachukai
Lukachukai ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,701 at the 2010 census. It is within the Navajo Nation.
Etymology
Lukachukai comes from a Navajo word translated as "a fi ...
.
Throughout his life, Begay remained active in the Navajo Code Talkers Association and the
Disabled American Veterans
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is an organization created in 1920 by World War I veterans for disabled military veterans of the United States Armed Forces that helps them and their families through various means. It was issued a federal ch ...
Albuquerque, New Mexico
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 ...
, at the age of 83. His funeral and burial took place at St. Mary's Catholic Church and Memory Gardens in Farmington, New Mexico. Begay, who was a resident of
Lukachukai, Arizona
Lukachukai ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,701 at the 2010 census. It is within the Navajo Nation.
Etymology
Lukachukai comes from a Navajo word translated as "a fiel ...
, was survived by his wife, Ella Sorrelman Begay, and his children: Jerry C. Begay Jr., Daniel C. Begay, Priscilla Begay Coutu and Verna Begay Lopez. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Evangeline Begay Alvarez.