Frank Chee Willeto
| Frank Chee Willeto | |
|---|---|
| 4th Vice President of the Navajo Nation | |
|
In office August 1998 – January 12, 1999 |
|
| President | Milton Bluehouse, Sr. |
| Preceded by | Milton Bluehouse, Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Taylor McKenzie |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 6, 1925 Crownpoint, New Mexico |
| Died | June 23, 2012 (aged 87) Pueblo Pintado, New Mexico |
| Nationality |
 Navajo Nation and USA
|
Frank Chee Willeto (June 6, 1925 – June 23, 2012) was an American politician and Navajo code talker during World War II. Willeto served as the Vice President of the Navajo Nation under President Milton Bluehouse, Sr. from his appointment in August 1998 until January 1999, when the Begaye administration took office.
Willeto was born in Crownpoint, New Mexico, on June 6, 1925. According to the Navajo Times, Willeto was "Bit'ahnii (Folded Arms Clan), born for Tódích'íi'nii (Bitter Water Clan). His chei [mother's grandfather] was Ta'neeszahnii (Tangle Clan) and his nálí (paternal family) was Naakai dine'é (Mexican People Clan)."
He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in January 1944 during World War II. Willeto joined the 6th Marine Division, serving in the Pacific Theater in Saipan and Okinawa as a Navajo code talker. The code talkers’ role in the war was not disclosed until 1968, when documents on the talkers were declassified. Willeto and other surviving Navajo code talkers were awarded the Congressional Silver Medal in 2001.
He returned to the Navajo Nation following the end of World War II. He was employed in the roads department of the Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1946 until 1974. Willeto then joined the United States Department of Education.
Willeto was elected to the Navajo Nation Council in 1974. He remained on the Council until 1986, when he was elected as the president of the Pueblo Pintado Chapter. Willeto also served as a judge on the former Navajo Supreme Judicial Council, a precursor to the present-day Supreme Court of the Navajo Nation.
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