Sophie Yazzie, a WWII veteran and member of the Navajo Nation, dies at 105

One of the longest-living female WWII veterans, Sophie Yazzie, died Saturday, Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services Director Wanda Wright said in a Facebook post.

She was 105 years old.

Yazzie, a member of the Navajo Nation, was born in 1914 in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, and joined the US Army Air Corps when she was 28, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer said in a news release.

She had four children, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, according to the release.

“On behalf of the Navajo people, 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,” Nez said in a statement.

Gov. Doug Ducey also tweeted about the loss, saying “Arizona is forever grateful for her service.”

Yazzie died in Tucson, surrounded by her family.