Navajo Code Talkers Day celebrations were held in Flagstaff and in Window Rock on the Navajo Nation today to honor the Navajo veterans who fought in the Pacific theater during World War II.
Tribal members, as many as 400, were tapped to serve as messengers during WWII, communicating with each other in the Navajo language during major operations.
The thought was that the Navajo language was so complex that it would be difficult for enemy forces to crack; and it worked.
During the battle for Iwo Jima, according to the website intel.gov, six code talkers transmitted more than 800 messages without error.
Only three code talkers are still alive today. Only one, Peter MacDonald of Tuba City, was able to attend the Window Rock event, which featured a parade, a recognition ceremony, and a traditional gourd dance.
National Code Talkers Day is celebrated every August 14.