Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez has ordered flags on the reservation be flown at half staff on Friday in honor of U.S. Army veteran and tribal member Kevin Carl Smith.
The 38-year-old died recently and officials did not announce the cause.
Smith was from Mexican Springs, N.M. He served four years in the Army as a crew member of the Alpha Company 2/37 Armor Battalion 1st Platoon, and earned honors including the Purple Heart Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
Navajo leaders praised Smith for his service and said he devoted his life to serving others and the Navajo Nation.
He is survived by his wife and six children.
A celebration of life memorial will be held Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Aztec, New Mexico.