Marines TV

U.S. Marine Corps GIF depicting an image from the National Archives of the Navajo Code Talkers created for Recruiting Station Phoenix, Arizona, Aug 14, 2023. Video created to commemorate Navajo Code Talkers Day. Audio is sampled from 'An Unbreakable Code' by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (U.S. Marine Corps video created by Cpl. Symira Bostic)

The Navajo Code Talkers are an integral part of this nation’s history. 29 Navajo men initially selected by Marine Corps leadership, used their unique and complex native language to formulate a code that remained unbreakable to the enemy in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Fighting in almost every major battle, the approximate 400 Code Talkers were able to translate messages in as few as 20 seconds as opposed to the normal 30 minutes with existing code-breaking machines. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan designated August 14 as National ‘Navajo Code Talker Day’ to honor the dedication of all members of the Navajo Nation and all Native Americans who served in the Pacific Theater of World War II. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Michael Slavin)

Navajo Code Talkers are, unique American heroes, revered every August 14th for their indecipherable language used to protect military communications during World War II. Navajo speakers Roy Hawthorne & Peter MacDonald describe the vital role and importance of protecting the code in the Battle of Iwo Jima and throughout the Pacific Regions. In Proclamation 4954, President Ronald Reagan designated August 14 as National ‘Navajo Code Talker Day’ to honor the dedication of all members of the Navajo Nation and all Native-Americans who gave their specialized talents and their lives so that others may live. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Kenny Gomez)