Image: 220601005 NavCodeTlk

Description: On Wednesday, June 1, 2022, one of the last living Navajo Code Talkers was honored during an 80th anniversary celebration that included tours of Washington, D.C., memorials, and a meeting with VA Secretary Denis McDonough. Peter MacDonald, Sr., 93-94, spoke at a wreath-laying at the National World War II Memorial honoring the Navajo Code Talkers. The former president of the Navajo Nation met earlier in the day with Secretary McDonough who tweeted, "It was a true honor to meet Marine Corps Veterans and Navajo Code Talker, Mr. Peter MacDonald" where they discussed the Code Talkers' service. Learn more about the "Unbreakable Code" used by the Marines on Iwo Jima here: youtube.com/watch?v=QmiqnAQTTCI From the official "An Unbroken Code For An Unbroken Future" program: "Mr. Peter MacDonald, Sr., one of four living Navajo Code Talkers, recalls the events of World War II as if they were yesterday. Mr. Macdonald remembers the sense of urgency as a young United States Marine memorizing the unbroken code to ensure complete secrecy for his country and family. It was not until 1968 that the United States of America finally declassified the Navajo Code Talkers involvement in WWII and started to recognize the nearly 400 Navajo Code Talkers that volunteered to fight for their county, the United States of America." "Today we remember the 80th anniversary of the Navajo Code Talkers and their families by presenting three wreaths representing the states of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico that are part of the over 27,000 square miles of Navajo land and its unparalleled beauty." "The Navajo Code Talkers took part in every assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945 including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima. They served in all six Marine divisions, Marine raider battalions and Marine parachute units, transmitting messages by telephone and radio in their native language-a code that the Japanese never broke." Nearly 400 Navajos served as Code Talkers from 1942 to 1945. 13 were killed in action. August 14, 2022 is Navajo Code Talkers Day. VA photo by Ben Pekkanen Veterans #HonoringVets #MARINES
Title: 220601005 NavCodeTlk
Credit: 220601005 NavCodeTlk
Author: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No