PHOENIX — A crowd gathered in Phoenix on August 14, 2026, to mark National Code Talker Day. Thomas H. Begay, 101, is one of the last two remaining Navajo Code Talkers.

The ceremony marked the contributions of Native American service members who used their languages for secret military communication during World War II. Peter MacDonald is the other surviving Navajo Code Talker. The Marine Corps recruited more than 400 Navajo men during World War II to create a code based on their native language. This effort represented the largest code-talking program in the U.S. military at the time.

Between 1942 and 1945, Navajo Code Talkers sent thousands of secret messages on battle tactics and enemy troop movements. The initial group of 29 Navajo Marines, known as the 'First 29,' developed and tested the original code in 1942. These veterans served in the Marine Corps’ six divisions in roles including ground combat, shipboard coordination, and reconnaissance. Over 40,000 Native American men and women enlisted in the U.S. armed forces during World War II.

Dawn Manuelito, a granddaughter of one of the first 29 Navajo Code Talkers, emphasized the strategic value of the program. "The U.S. was being defeated. Without that code, that war could have been different," she said. She added, "Our language saved this country." The program remained classified until 1968, preventing public acknowledgment for decades.

Thomas H. Begay grew up speaking only the Navajo language and first learned English at age 13 when he was sent to boarding school. He left the Marines in 1946 and joined the U.S. Army in 1947. Begay worked as a communication specialist and was a paratrooper during the Korean War. He left the military in 1953.

Peter MacDonald joined the Marine Corps at age 15 by lying about his age. After World War II, he worked as an engineer at a defense contractor company. MacDonald later became a politician on the Navajo Nation. In November 2017, he and other World War II veterans met President Trump in the Oval Office.

President Richard Nixon sent a letter of appreciation to the Navajo Tribal Council in 1971. Code Talker veterans participated in the bicentennial parade in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Thomas H. Begay and other Code Talkers made a written request for recognition that resulted in a 1982 joint congressional resolution.

President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation in 1982 designating August 14 as the official day to honor the Navajo Code Talkers and all Native Americans who served in World War II. Reagan’s 1982 proclamation acknowledged that members of the Choctaw, Chippewa, Creek, Sioux, and other tribes used their tribal languages as effective battlefield codes in the two world wars.

Recent administrative actions have drawn attention to how these contributions are documented. Following an executive order by President Donald Trump to end federal diversity and equity programs, the Defense Department deleted webpages honoring contributions by minority groups, including the Navajo Code Talkers. The Pentagon restored some webpages, stating the Navajo Code Talker material was erroneously removed.

Laura Tohe, Arizona Poet Laureate and daughter of a Navajo Code Talker, commented on the situation. "It's a huge contradiction," she said. Tohe noted, "Despite the complicated and dark history and relationship that we have with the U.S., these men were willing to step up because many of them felt like it was their responsibility to serve."

At least 20 tribes have had members participate in code talking programs, according to the National Museum of the American Indian. Comanche Code Talkers participated in operations in Europe, including the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France. Plans were announced to establish a museum honoring the Navajo Code Talkers in Farmington, New Mexico. Arizona adopted Navajo Code Talker Day as a state holiday in 2021, becoming the first state to do so.

Why It Matters

The presence of Thomas H. Begay and Peter MacDonald reflects the dwindling number of living veterans from this program. Their attendance at the Phoenix ceremony connects current public recognition to historical service that remained secret for decades. The restoration of Defense Department webpages after their removal shows ongoing debates about how minority contributions are preserved in official records.

The designation of August 14 as National Code Talker Day provides a fixed point for annual remembrance. With plans for a museum in New Mexico and state-level holidays, efforts to institutionalize this history continue despite the loss of primary sources. The event serves as a record of service that spanned multiple conflicts and branches of the military.

Timeline

President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation in 1982 designating August 14 as the official day to honor the Navajo Code Talkers and all Native Americans who served in World War II. President Reagan’s 1982 proclamation acknowledged that members of the Choctaw, Chippewa, Creek, Sioux, and other tribes used their tribal languages as effective battlefield codes in the two world wars. A crowd gathered in Phoenix on August 14, 2026, to mark National Code Talker Day. The Navajo Nation Veterans Administration will host its own Navajo Code Talkers Day program starting at 9 a.m. on August 14, 2026.

What's New

The Navajo Nation Veterans Administration will host its own Navajo Code Talkers Day program starting at 9 a.m. on August 14, 2026. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed August 14 as National Navajo Code Talkers Day. Arizona adopted Navajo Code Talker Day as a state holiday in 2021, becoming the first state to do so.

Navajo Code Talkers served in the Marine Corps’ six divisions in roles including ground combat, shipboard coordination, and reconnaissance. Navajo Code Talkers Reception (NAID 140106301) is an item in the National Archives and Records Administration's holdings.