Cortez Cultural Center will host the premiere of “The Heart of a Warrior,” an hour-long documentary about the life of Navajo Code Talker Samuel F. Sandoval, Sunday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. at the Center, 25 N. Market St. Sandoval will attend the premiere for questions and book signing following the show.
The documentary was written, filmed and produced by the college’s video production department with help by faculty and staff of Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan.
Navajo Code Talkers helped change the course of history. This small band of young Navajo men transmitted secret communication on the battlefields of World War II using their native language to develop ingenious, unbreakable code, indecipherable by Japanese forces. The code baffled the enemies. It not only was impossible to break but impossible to transcribe.
Samuel Sandoval is one of the original Marine Navajo Code Talkers who fought in World War II. He grew up with his great grandfather, a Navajo warrior and medicine man of the 1850s who lived to be 109. Sandoval fought in five Pacific campaigns, including Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Peleliu, Guam and Okinawa. He remains passionate about educating the public on the relevance of Navajo traditions, culture, language and way of life.
The event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted.