Oldest female WWII veteran passes away at 105-years-old

One of the world’s longest living female World War II veterans, Sophie Yazzie, passed away on Saturday, January 25th in Tucson, Arizona at the age of 105. 

Yazzie was a member of the Navajo Nation and was born in 1914 in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, where she spent her childhood herding sheep and tending to her family’s crops, reported Navajo Times.

In 1943 at the age of 28, Yazzie traveled to Santa Fe and enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, later called  the Women’s Air Corps. She completed basic training in Daytona Beach, Florida and was later stationed at the now-closed Faster Air Force Base in Victoria, Texas. She was eventually honorably discharged and met her husband, Jordan B. Yazzie. 

Saddened to learn of the passing of Sophie Yazzie, a World War II Veteran and member of the Navajo Nation. At the age of 105, Sophie was one of the longest living female WWII veterans. Arizona is forever grateful for her service. Our prayers are with her loved ones. #RIP pic.twitter.com/oxsIVgdowT

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) January 26, 2020

Yazzie returned home and worked at a boarding school while raising her children alongside her husband. She retired at the age of 70. 

“She was a loving and compassionate mother, grandmother, and veteran who served her people throughout her life in several different capacities,” said Navajo Nation Vice President lizer to WGXA News.

We will always be grateful for her contributions and we give thanks for her life and we pray for her family and friends during this time,”

We offer our thoughts and prayers for the family of the late Sophie Yazzie, a matriarch for her family and a warrior for our Navajo people who served our country with great honor and dignity. To her family, we pray for comfort during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/MJDyJsBa7S

— Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez (@NNPrezNez) January 26, 2020