Teddy Draper, Sr. |

Teddy Draper [detail from video] | World War, 1939-1945
Marine Corps
28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division
Pacific Theater
Corporal
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Teddy Draper, Sr. was born in Canyon del Muerto near Chinle, Arizona in 1923. After being trained as a Code Talker, Draper was assigned to the newly-formed 28th Marine Regiment of the 5th Marine Division. Draper took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima in February-March 1945; wounded on the second day, he continued to fight for all 36 days of the battle. In addition to his duties as a Code Talker, Draper also earned a promotion to become the leader of his regiment’s wire section. After the war, Draper fought for years to gain recognition of his service-connected disability that came from wounds sustained on Iwo Jima. He also completed his high school diploma after the war, and worked for many years in education as an instructional aide, adult education teacher, and Navajo language instructor.
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