August 14th is National Navajo Code Talkers Day, a day to commemorate the contributions of Native American code talkers who served in the U.S. military during World Wars I and II. Code talkers utilized a secret, coded language, based on their native language, to communicate important information over military telephones and radios.
During World War II, the U.S. Marines enlisted 29 Navajo men who participated in every major Marine operation in the Pacific theater. Code talkers worked in pairs — one on the frontlines and one behind the lines – communicating by radio and telephone. To prevent the enemy from breaking the code and gaining access to important information, there were no printed code manuals. Code talkers had to memorize all the words and translations they used.
Approximately 400 – 500 Native Americans served in the U.S. Marine Corps during WWII as code talkers. Decades after their service and sacrifice, the federal government recognized and honored the legacy and history of the code talkers’ contributions to American democracy. On August 14, 1982, President Ronald Reagan declared the day as National Navajo Code Talkers Day. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded the original 29 code talkers with the Congressional Gold Medal. In 2001, President George W. Bush presented medals to the four surviving code talkers at a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda.
