Weldon B. Johnson

The Republic | azcentral.com

Chester Nez%2C the last Navajo Code Talker%2C unable to attend event due to illness

Native American%2C veterans groups at Intel teamed to tell story of Code Talkers

About 4%2C300 veterans work at Intel facilities nationwide

The guest of honor was unable to make it to Intel's Ocotillo Campus in Chandler on Wednesday afternoon, but those things happen when you're 93.

Chester Nez, the last of the original Navajo Code Talkers, was to address a group of college students, Intel employees and others at a gathering to honor Native American World War II heroes.

Nez, 93, felt ill after arriving in the Valley from New Mexico on Tuesday night.

Still, the program succeeded in its core purpose — reaching out to Native American engineering students and veterans who might be a good fit at Intel.

Duran Charles, a sophomore biomedical engineering student at Arizona State University, was among 73 Native American students from Arizona colleges to register for the session.

"I felt like this was a chance to learn about Navajo tradition and spread it to other people," Charles said. "It shows how close we are. I also like how the veterans are another close group. It's like another family. I felt like we were all family here."

Intel has several employee groups representing people of various ethnicities, or who have in common gender, country of origin or military service.

The groups help the company diversify its workforce by reaching out to the community.

The veterans group is among the largest at Intel, with about 4,300 veterans at Intel facilities nationwide, according to Rudy Hacker, a Marine who heads Intel's Arizona veterans group.

"Hopefully we'll do things like this with other groups," Hacker said. "In my opinion, the veterans group is the most diverse in the company because so many different people participate in the military at some point."

Tracey Phoenix-Lyons, former president of the Arizona Intel Native American Network, said she got the idea to bring Nez to Chandler after meeting him at the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in Albuquerque last year.

Phoenix-Lyons was familiar with the story of the Code Talkers — both of her grandfathers took part — but she wanted to share their story with others.

"I wanted to let my friends, my people here, know where I come from and what my people are about," Phoenix-Lyons said.

When Phoenix-Lyons approached Hacker, he jumped at the chance.

Judith Schiess Avila, who helped Nez put together the book that tells his story, "Code Talker," spoke on his behalf.

Two other Native American World War II heroes appeared in a video presentation. Bataan Death March survivor Tony Reyna was a prisoner of war for more than three years. Decorated soldier Sam Poblano fought his way from Morocco to North Africa and saw the hanging of Mussolini in Italy.

The afternoon included performances by Native American singers and dancers.

The gathering was arranged by Intel's local Native American network with assistance from the American Veterans at Intel and support from company management to honor veterans and to showcase the diversity of cultures represented among Intel employees.

Phoenix-Lyons summed up the disappointment felt by many when they learned Nez was unable to attend.

"After a year of planning, we got him here, but we didn't get him here," Phoenix-Lyons said. "I was bummed out when I heard he couldn't make it, but, bless his heart, he tried to be here."

In Nez's absence, Avila told the story of how Nez and 28 other young Navajo men joined the Marine Corps and created a code using their native language that proved to be unbreakable during World War II.

The code allowed for secure communications that greatly aided the U.S. war effort.