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HONORING THE CODE TALKERS |
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| "With a courageous heart you have fought." |
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Ronald Reagan |
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The Navajo Code Talkers were a secret to the entire world for
years after World War II, and were never honored or recognized.
This was because the Navajo Code used in the war was
classified until 1968, since it was thought that it might be used again. Finally, in
1969, the Code Talkers received recognition at a ceremony in Chicago. They each
received a bronze medallion. The medallion has a picture of the famous monument in
Washington, D.C., which commemorates the raising of the U.S. flag by U.S. Marines on Mt.
Suribachi in Iwo Jima at the end of World War II. The medallion is one-fourth of an
inch thick and three inches in diameter. It hangs on rawhide thongs that are strung
with red, blue, and white Indian beads. The turquoise stones on this medallion were
added by the recipient. |
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| In 1971, the Code Talkers formed a Code Talker Association. They
march in parades, give lectures, and have even given demonstrations speaking their famous
code. They have a uniform which is a gold velveteen shirt, khaki trousers, and a red
hat. |
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| In 1982, Bruce King, the Governor of New Mexico, proclaimed
April 10th as the New Mexico Code Talker Day. Later in that same year, the President
of the United States, Ronald Reagan, proclaimed August 14th as National Code Talker
Day. Each Code Talker was given a Certificate of Appreciation by the President in a
ceremony in Washington, DC. |
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| NOW,
THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby
designate August 14, 1982 as National Navajo Code Talkers Day, a day dedicated to all
members of the Navajo Nation and to all Native Americans who gave of their special talents
and their lives so that others might live. I ask the American people to join me in this
tribute, and I call upon Federal, State and local officials to commemorate this day with
appropriate activities. |
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| There are two permanent memorials in the United States honoring the Code
Talkers. A memorial built in Phoenix, Arizona in 1989, is a statue depicting a
Navajo boy with a flute in his hand. The plaque below it says that the flute is a
communications tool used to signal the end of confrontation and the coming of peace.
The other memorial, which was dedicated in 1992, is an exhibit at the
Pentagon in Washington, DC. It includes a display of
photographs, some equipment, and a sample of the original code with an
explanation of how it worked.
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| Late in 1999, Hollywood began making a movie about the Navajo Code
Talkers. The movie is still in production (early 2000). The Code Talkers are
concerned that non-Navajos will end up playing parts that should be played by Navajos, and
that the Navajo way of life during the time of the movie will not be depicted the way it
really was. Several Code Talkers are currently meeting with producers from Hollywood
to correct any inaccuracies. |
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| Headlines in the
newspaper |
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