Carrying the Message: Honoring the Legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers
Memorial Day is more than remembrance. It's a chance to reckon with whose stories have been told, and whose have not.
Native people have served in every major U.S. conflict since the American Revolution, often in higher numbers per capita than any other group. Yet many of these contributions remain underrecognized in national memory.
One powerful example: the Navajo Code Talkers.
During World War II, over 400 Navajo men were recruited by the U.S. Marine Corps to create an unbreakable code based on their Indigenous language. At a time when U.S. military codes were being routinely cracked, the Navajo Code Talkers developed and transmitted messages faster and more securely than any other method—saving countless lives on the battlefield.
Their code was never broken.
Photograph of Navajo Indian Code Talkers Henry Bake and George Kirk
Corporal Henry Bake, Jr., (left) and Private First Class George H. Kirk, Navajo Indians serving with a Marine Signal Unit, operate a portable radio set in a clearing they've just hacked in the dense jungle close behind the front lines.
Despite their heroic service, the Code Talkers' role remained classified for decades. Many never received proper acknowledgment in their lifetime. Today, efforts are ongoing to ensure they are honored publicly and correctly, not just in military history, but as part of the broader American story.
Why it matters
For Native communities, service to one’s people and land is a deep-rooted value. Yet the silence surrounding Native contributions in U.S. history speaks volumes. To truly honor those who served, we must also honor the full complexity of their identities, cultures, and sacrifices.
This Memorial Day, I invite you to remember all who served—especially those whose voices were long unheard. Let Native voices lead their own stories.
With clarity and care,
Allison
