Navajo Code Talkers Day was established through a presidential proclamation by President Ronald Reagan on August 14, 1982.

August 14, 2021 marked the very first Navajo Code Talker Day as an official holiday in Arizona. During WWII, 400 Navajo men used their language to create a special code that was used to compose and transmit messages. The code was never broken. These Navajo men participated in every major Marine operation in the Pacific Theater. During the bloody fight for Iwo Jima they fired off more than 800 messages in the heat of battle that were crucial to victory. The code talkers are credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives and shortening the war.

Sadly, their work was classified for decades. These heroes weren’t even allowed to tell their kinfolk what they did during the war. By the time acknowledgement was officially given, they were old men with many already gone. A very moving tribute can be found at the Navajo Code Talker Memorial in Window Rock, pictured here. In 2021, National Navajo Code Talkers Day was declared a legal state holiday in Arizona. Each year August 14 honors the courage of these men and their critical role in the Allied victory of World War II. Thank you for your service.