Aug. 14 is Navajo Code Talkers Day. Who were they and how are they being honored?

Aug. 14 is Navajo Code Talkers Day, a date President Ronald Reagan dedicated in 1982 to "all members of the Navaho Nation and to all Native Americans who gave their special talents and their lives so that others might live."

Here are some important facts to know about the Navajo Code Talkers and how they are being honored.

How did the Navajo Code Talkers start?

The idea for using the Navajo language as a military code came from Philip Johnston in 1942. He was a World War I veteran and the son of a missionary who lived on the Navajo Nation. According to the National Archives and Records, Johnston got the idea after reading an article that talked about how the Army used Native American soldiers as signalmen during training maneuvers.

His experience growing up with Navajo language and culture is what led him to suggest it be used as a military code, noting that the language was unknown among other tribes and the public. Johnston went to the Naval Office in Los Angeles, California, and was referred to Major James E. Jones at Camp Elliot in San Diego. Jones was skeptical about the idea until Johnston spoke a few Navajo words to him and was asked to do a trial run with Navajo people.

On March 6, 1942, Major Gen. Clayton B. Vogel issued a letter supporting an effort to recruit 200 Navajo men for the U.S. Marines. He stressed that the Navajo language is complex and remained mostly unwritten. Vogel's recommendation came after successful tests of the Navajo language were conducted at Camp Elliot in San Diego, California, on Feb. 28, 1942, when four Navajo speakers demonstrated sending and receiving six messages coded in the Navajo language.

The story: Navajo Code Talkers created an unbreakable code. It helped win World War II

Who were the Navajo Code Talkers?

The original Navajo Code Talkers were 29 Navajo men who joined the U.S. Marines in 1942 and developed a code that was used across the Pacific during World War II.

After the initial recruitment of Navajo Code Talkers was approved, the Navajo men had to meet the regular qualifications for enlistment, go through the seven-week training and meet the linguistic requirements of both English and Navajo.

On May 5, 1942, 29 Navajo men arrived at the Recruit Depot in San Diego for basic training. That was followed by intensive courses in transmitting messages and radio operation at the Fleet Marine Force Training Center at Camp Elliot. The 29 recruits developed the code with communications personnel during this training.

The Navajo Code Talkers participated in all assaults the U.S. Marines led in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945, including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu and Iwo Jima. The Code Talkers conveyed messages by telephone and radio in their native language, a code that was never broken by the Japanese. The Navajo language was not well known amongst the general public and most of it wasn't written down which made it hard for enemies to decipher.

The Navajo Code Talkers fused the Navajo language with military terminology. Most of the words in the Navajo Code Talkers radio code (a total of 411) were new. Later they developed an alphabet system using words from the Navajo language. When translated into English the Navajo words would spell out one of the 26 letters in the alphabet. Before the end of the war, the code's new alphabet was expanded to 44 words as more words were assigned to frequently repeated letters.

Who were the original Code Talkers?

In 1942, the U.S. Marines recruited 29 Navajo men to be Navajo Code Talkers. Each recruit had to meet the general qualifications of a Marine as well as be fluent in Navajo and English. The recruits were brought to the Recruit Depot in San Diego on May 5 for seven weeks of basic training. Once finished, the soldiers were moved to Fleet Marine Force Training Center at Camp Elliott in San Diego. It was there that the 29 men underwent intense special courses for message transmissions and radio operations, and developed the code used during the war.

The original 29 Navajo Code Talkers were Charlie Sosie Begay, Roy Begay, Samuel H. Begay, John Ashi Benally, Wilsie Bitsie, Cosey Stanley Brown, John Brown Jr., John Chee, Benjamin Cleveland, Eugene Crawford, David Curley, Lowell Damon, George Dennison, James Dixon, William McCabe, Carl Gorman, Oscar Ilthma, Allen June, Alfred Leonard, James Manuelito Sr., Chester Nez, Jack Nez, Lloyd Oliver, Frank Pete, Balmer Slowtalker, Nelson Thompson, Harry Tsosie, John Willfe Jr. and Yazzie William.

The Navajo Code Talker program was classified and remained that way until 1968. In 2001, the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and all others were awarded Congressional Silver Medals.

The Navajo Code Talkers who are still alive include Thomas H. Begay, John Kinsel Sr. and Peter MacDonald. Samuel Sandoval was one of the last remaining Code Talkers; he died at 89 in July 2022.

Navajo Code Talkers: The last of the living WWII heroes share their stories

Were the Navajo Code Talkers honored by the U.S. government?

In 2000, the Honoring the Navajo Code Talkers Act was signed into law. The act allowed the president to present to each of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers or surviving family members, a gold medal and award a silver medal to each man who qualified as a Navajo Code Talker.

By 2001, the Navajo Code Talkers were honored with Congressional Gold and Silver Medals.

When did Navajo Code Talkers Day become a state holiday in Arizona?

Arizona recognized Navajo Code Talkers Day as a state holiday for the first time on Aug. 14, 2021. State Sen. Jamescita Peshlakai, D-Window Rock, proposed the bill and Gov. Doug Ducey signed it into law.

Former Republic reporter Shondiin Silversmith contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How Navajo Code Talkers day is being honored in Arizona