Samuel Tom Holiday

We lost a legend, Samuel Tom Holiday, 4th Marine Division, 25th regiment, H&S Company, was the 10th remaining Navajo Code Talker out of 420. Our hearts are heavy that he is not here physically but he lived a long beautiful life. He used the lessons from his mother to heal people. He used the love of my grandmother to love everyone. He used his strength to defend our country. He used his native language as a secret weapon that was never broken. He was the greatest man that I have ever known. 

Let me tell you about this great hero, he was born in Monument Valley, Utah on hot summer day (his birthdate was unknown, so they guessed it by the weather and season) June 2, 1924. He loved his children and their children’s children. And he loved his country and proud to have fought in the Pacific. He kept the biggest secret from his wife and children that he used his native language in WW2 until it was declassified in 1968. I, myself has had the opportunity to travel with my grandfather to Tokyo for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball and we were even more honored to travel bakck to Iwo Jima on the 70th anniversary. Grandpa Sam has always wanted to spread the history of the Navajo Code Talkers and always loved educating anyone who wanted to hear.  

What we were asking was that grandpa and his late wife has a 8 children and it is hard to plan the unexpected. We were trying to raise some money to get family members from out of state to say their last goodbyes to him in Southern Utah Veterns Home Ivin’s which we accomplished and could not be more thankful. 

We have kept this campaign going on now to help family members travel to Grandpa’s funeral services in Monument Valley. We plan to use the remainding money to help the cost of the funeral services. 

We as as a family can not express the appreciation of all the love and support. Thank you so very much from the bottoms of our hearts.