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City of Flagstaff recognizes Aug. 14 as Navajo Code Talkers Day

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By City of Flagstaff

Greetings everyone and Ya’at’eeh to all:

August 14th is an official state holiday in recognition of the Navajo Code Talkers.  Please join in to celebrate and learn more about our national treasure.  They provided through their lives and language a highly revered contribution to our country.  Following is a news bite from 12News, Phoenix AZ and information from Arizona Central.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv2ge4s1noo

Arizona recognizes National Navajo Code Talkers Day as a state holiday for the first time on August 14. Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation in March 2021 making the observance official. “The Navajo Code Talkers are American heroes,” Ducey said in a news release. “Arizona is grateful for their dedication to protecting our nation,” he added. “I’m proud to sign legislation that makes National Navajo Code Talkers day an official holiday.”  In 1942, 29 Navajo men joined the U.S. Marines and developed an unbreakable code that would be used across the Pacific during World War II. They were the Navajo Code Talkers.

The first 29 Navajo Code Talker recruits being sworn in at Fort Wingate, N.M. in 1942.

Five facts about the Code Talkers:

  1. The Code Talkers took part in every assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942-1945. These included the battles of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu and Iwo Jima.
  2. The Code Talkers originally began with 29 men in 1942 and were know as the Original 29. By 1945, it is estimated that over 400 men served as Navajo Code Talkers during World War II.
  3. There are no military terms in the Navajo language. When developing the code, the Code Talkers got creative with the Navajo words for different codes. For example, a bomber plane is “Jay-sho”, which means buzzard, and a fighter plane is “Da-he-tih-hi”, which means hummingbird.
  4. None of the Navajo Code Talkers could speak about the highly classified program until after the war. It was officially declassified in 1968. The Original 29, Navajo Code Talkers, were honored in 2001 with the Congressional Gold Medal. Others were honored with Congressional Silver Medals.
  5. The code was never broken and was only known until after being declassified.

There will be a Navajo Code Talker Day celebration on August 14, please tune in if you can.  Information on the celebration:

PHOENIX — Aug. 14 was recently established as Arizona Navajo Code Talkers Day with the help of Arizona Senator Jamescita Peshlakai.

To celebrate, there will be a celebration honoring the legacy of Navajo Code Talkers Aug. 14 at the Arizona State Capitol.

The ceremony will include a posting of colors, playing of taps, 21 gun salute, laying of a wreath and a closing prayer. This event will be live streamed on the Senate Democrats Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/AZSenateDems.