Key facts
- Thomas H. Begay, 101, is one of the last two remaining Navajo Code Talkers.
- National Code Talker Day is observed on August 14.
- Navajo Code Talkers used their native language to create a code during World War II.
- The code was instrumental in U.S. victories in the Pacific War.
- The Navajo Code Talker program remained classified until 1968.
- President Reagan proclaimed August 14 as National Code Talker Day in 1982.
- Plans are underway to establish a museum for Code Talkers in Farmington, New Mexico.
Thomas H. Begay, a 101-year-old Navajo Code Talker veteran, is expected to attend a National Code Talker Day event in Phoenix. The day, observed annually on August 14, honors the vital contributions of Native Americans who used their native languages as codes during World War II. Hundreds of Navajo men were recruited by the Marine Corps during the war to develop a code based on their language, which proved instrumental in U.S. victories in the Pacific by frustrating Japanese forces. This program, the largest code-talking initiative at the time, allowed thousands of secret messages on battle tactics and troop movements to be sent between 1942 and 1945, ultimately saving countless Allied soldiers' lives.
Initially sworn to secrecy, the Code Talkers could not discuss their mission even with family after their discharge. The program's classified nature persisted until 1968, after which efforts began to formally recognize their service. This led to a joint congressional resolution and President Reagan's proclamation in 1982, establishing August 14 as National Code Talker Day. Reagan's proclamation also acknowledged the use of tribal languages as battlefield codes by other tribes, including the Choctaw, Chippewa, Creek, and Sioux.
Recent events have highlighted the ongoing efforts to preserve the legacy of the Code Talkers. Following an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at ending federal diversity and equity programs, the Defense Department initially removed thousands of pages honoring minority contributions, including those of Native American veterans. This action drew condemnation from tribes, and the Pentagon later restored some webpages, citing the erroneous removal of Navajo Code Talker material. Laura Tohe, Arizona's poet laureate and daughter of a Code Talker, noted the contradiction of the U.S. military utilizing native languages for code after a history of punishing their use in boarding schools.
Begay, who grew up speaking only Navajo and learned English at a boarding school, served in the Marines and later the Army as a communication specialist and paratrooper during the Korean War. The other surviving Navajo Code Talker, Peter MacDonald, joined the Marine Corps at 15 by lying about his age. He later met with President Trump in 2017 to share the history of the Navajo Code Talkers. Despite advocacy, a dedicated museum for the group has not yet materialized, though plans were recently announced to establish one in Farmington, New Mexico.