{"id":1034,"date":"2026-08-14T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/?p=1034"},"modified":"2026-08-14T18:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T18:30:00","slug":"va-honors-native-american-veterans-and-one-of-last-navajo-code-talkers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=1034","title":{"rendered":"VA\u00a0honors\u00a0Native American Veterans\u00a0and one of last\u00a0Navajo\u00a0Code Talkers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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More than 81 years\u00a0have passed\u00a0since\u00a0Feb. 23, 1945, when\u00a0U.S. Marines raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on the island of\u00a0Iwo Jima\u00a0<\/strong>during World War II.\u00a0As the battle for\u00a0Iwo Jima\u00a0continued, Navajo Code Talkers and other Native American\u00a0service members\u00a0played a\u00a0critical\u00a0role in helping U.S. forces secure the\u00a0South Pacific\u00a0island.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Using a\u00a0complex\u00a0oral\u00a0code based on the Navajo language,\u00a0Code Talkers shared\u00a0secret battlefield messages\u00a0that\u00a0the enemy\u00a0couldn\u2019t decipher. Their work\u00a0proved critical\u00a0to U.S.\u00a0success\u00a0during\u00a0World War II. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan\u00a0designated\u00a0August 14 as National Navajo Code Talkers Day to honor their service to our\u00a0country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Each year,\u00a0the\u00a0large Native American\u00a0community of Sacaton, Arizona\u2014located\u00a0within the Gila River Indian Community\u2014honors\u00a0the\u00a0heroic\u00a0efforts\u00a0of Native American Code Talkers\u00a0with a community event and parade.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The legend of Thomas Begay<\/h2>\n

At this year\u2019s commemoration event, Craig Filbeck, a Native American Direct Loan (NADL<\/a>)\u00a0coordinator with the Department of Veterans Affairs,\u00a0shared information with\u00a0Native American Veterans and\u00a0service members\u00a0about using the\u00a0NADL\u00a0benefit<\/a>.\u00a0While there,\u00a0he\u00a0had the honor of\u00a0hearing from Thomas Begay,\u00a0one of the last surviving Navajo Code Talkers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the battle for\u00a0Iwo Jima,\u00a0Begay and other Code Talkers\u00a0passed more than 800 messages in 48 hours.\u00a0Working\u00a0in pairs,\u00a0they\u00a0transmitted\u00a0battlefield, tactical,\u00a0and bombing information\u00a0that\u00a0was key to\u00a0capturing the island.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHearing about\u00a0[Begay\u2019s]\u00a0and the other Navajo Code Talkers\u2019 heroic actions on Iwo Jima was an honor and a highlight of my time at the event,\u201d Filbeck\u00a0said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

After serving in\u00a0World War II, Begay went on to serve in Korea before leaving military service.\u00a0Following his military service, he worked\u00a0for the Bureau of Indian Affairs\u00a0and had\u00a0four children,\u00a0all of whom served in the military.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Buy, build, renovate or refinance<\/h2>\n

Filbeck was in Sacaton for a reason: to make\u00a0sure\u00a0Veterans like Begay know about a benefit\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0earned. As a NADL coordinator, he shared information about using the NADL benefit to buy,\u00a0build, renovate or refinance a home on federal trust lands.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThese outreach events are important to VA and Native Americans, because\u00a0they give us\u00a0an opportunity to engage with the community and\u00a0share information about\u00a0the NADL benefit,\u201d Filbeck said.\u00a0\u201cWhen Native Americans use these\u00a0loans to build homes, it\u00a0also\u00a0helps alleviate housing deficiencies on tribal lands.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Congress\u00a0established\u00a0the NADL program\u00a0through\u00a0the\u00a0Veterans Home Loan Program Amendments of 1992.\u00a0The program\u00a0helps\u00a0Native American Veterans and\u00a0service members buy, build or refinance homes on\u00a0federal trust lands.\u00a0Under the Native American Programs Act of 1974,\u00a0\u201cNative American\u201d includes Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives and Pacific Islanders.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

NADL loans offer many valuable benefits, including\u00a0low interest rates\u00a0(currently at\u00a02.5%),\u00a0no down payment, no private mortgage insurance and limited closing costs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

To qualify for NADL, Native American Veterans\u00a0generally\u00a0must\u00a0belong to a federally recognized tribe that has signed a\u00a0memorandum of\u00a0understanding\u00a0(MOU)\u00a0with VA.\u00a0To date,\u00a0120\u00a0tribes have signed MOUs. VA recently created a video to\u00a0help\u00a0tribes understand the MOU process. The video\u00a0is available\u00a0on the\u00a0Loan Guaranty\u00a0training\u00a0website<\/a>\u00a0under\u00a0\u201cAvailable Training \u2013 Native American Direct Loans.\u201d\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

VA\u00a0Loan Guaranty Service\u00a0is\u00a0committed\u00a0to\u00a0connecting with\u00a0Native American Veterans and\u00a0service members to\u00a0make sure they know about\u00a0this earned benefit.\u00a0Each year,\u00a0NADL coordinators\u00a0travel to\u00a0tribal events\u00a0across the country\u00a0and work with Veterans and tribal leaders\u00a0to expand the reach of the NADL program.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Through this outreach, VA\u00a0ensures\u00a0that\u00a0heroes like Thomas Begay\u00a0have the information they need to\u00a0use NADL to\u00a0buy, build, renovate\u00a0and refinance homes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Learn more about NADL<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Topics in this story<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Home Loan Guaranty<\/a>NADL<\/a>VA Home Loan<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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