Navajo Code Talkers - 2022 American Spirit Award Recipients
106The Navajo Code Talkers played an essential role in transmitting sensitive information on battlefields across the world, expediting the end of the World War II and, undoubtedly, saving the lives of many. During the war, the US military employed Native American code talkers in theaters around the world, and in the Pacific, the US Marines relied heavily upon members of the Navajo nation. Using their complex indigenous language, these US Marines developed a code used to transmit, receive, and decode covert communications faster and with more accuracy than any other form of military communication at the time. The hundreds of highly trained Code Talkers were present at some of the most pivotal battles in the Pacific war, including Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Pelelieu, and Iwo Jima. Given their critical position, they were frequent targets for enemy attack, yet they carried out their assignments with astounding efficiency and accuracy. Incredibly, their code remained unbroken through the end of the war.
Despite their heroic contributions, the Navajo Code Talkers were forced to keep their wartime role a secret. Even when the program was declassified in 1968, national recognition of Code Talkers was slow. In 2001, the Navajo Code Talkers finally received the Congressional Medal of Honor, and annually on August 14, the nation celebrates Navajo Code Talkers Day. The tremendous bravery, skill, ingenuity, and determination of the Navajo Code Talkers reflects the best of the American Spirit. Their wartime contributions were crucial to the success of Allied campaigns in the Pacific and victory during World War II. Only four Navajo Code Talkers remain alive today, and it is an honor and a privilege for the Museum to bestow upon them our highest honor.
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