The Foundation has put together a questionnaire to gather information about individual Navajo Code Talkers, and is encouraging the family and friends of Navajo Code Talkers to obtain the questionnaire for the veteran, as well as assist him completing and returning it.

Questionnaires and more information can be obtained by contacting Wynette Arviso at 505-870-9167 or wynette@jjclacs.com, or Yvonne Murphy at 505-870-0641 or von_inla@yahoo.com. The Foundation requests all questionnaires be returned by September 17, but will be accepting questionnaires on a rolling basis to maintain continually accurate information for its database and museum.

The Navajo Code Talkers’ saga is a great American story that is still largely unknown – the story of a group of young Navajo men who answered the call of duty, who performed a service no one else could, and in the process became great warriors and patriots. Their unbreakable code saved thousands of lives and helped end WWII.

Now, in their 80’s and 90’s, only a few of these silent heroes remain. Many of their stories have yet to be documented for posterity, and to that end the Navajo Code Talkers Foundation is working to create a lasting record of the Navajo Code Talker legacy with a new museum project.

Code talkers celebrate freedom in annual parade

By Elizabeth Piazza The Daily Times

FARMINGTON — Their native words cascade from their lips with gentleness and ease and for two World War II code talkers, Samuel Sandoval and Wilfred Billey, those words mean family, culture and tradition.

But the words took on new meanings when they were spoken during the war — secrecy, courage and a fight for freedom.

Little did they know the words that were passed down to them from their grandfather’s grandfathers would mean saving the lives of thousands and changing the course of a world war.

Sandoval and Billey, who have known each other since they attended Farmington Methodist Mission boarding school — now Navajo Preparatory School — will stand together tonight during Farmington’s Fourth of July Freedom Days parade to celebrate what their language helped to save.

How it started

Both joined the United States Marine Corps in 1943 because the military was looking for “Navajo boys ages 17 to 31 years of age to be fluent in Navajo and be fluent in English,” Sandoval said. They were to become more than 400 code talkers during World War II.

Sandoval, who walked into the recruiting center in Farmington, was on his way out the door when a recruiter stopped him, asking his nationality.

“I am a Navajo Indian — full-blooded,” he said to the man before sitting down.

To continue the story, please visit the newspaper’s website:

Navajo Code Talkers

In May of Nineteen forty-two
The first of those Talkers came to be
At Camp Pendelton, California
They formed that special “Dictionary”.

During the First World War
When the Choctaw was used some
A white man raised on the Res
Thought Navajo might be the one.

He’d served in the First War
And he knew we’d sought a way
To send messages amongst the Troops
That no one else knew how to say.

A code in an unwritten language
With no symbols or letter
That only those who spoke it knew
So, what else could be better?

Twenty nine Navajo recruits
Created each new cryptic word
Of Military terms and words
Not understood when they were heard.

The Talkers had to memorize
Each and every word to be used
Knowing they had the important task
Of keeping the enemy confused.

Around four hundred Navajo
Were a part of this unique plan
To speak and send those messages
Which only they could understand.

They were Marines of a special kind
And one of the Generals said
Without the Code Talkers expertise
Iwo would have been lost, instead.

There were many other Victories
Some, we’ll probably hear about
Probably, many more lives saved
They served the Corps well, without doubt..

Finally in Nineteen ninety-two
With half a century passed
Our Nation recognized their Service
And they were honored, at last.

An exhibit at the Pentagon
Now a chance to be on a quarter
Please vote to make that happen
For, much more praise is in order.

–Del “Abe” Jones

Navajo Code Talkers© 1984 Del “Abe” Jones

Below find two poems from John Conley who wrote the poems because the Navajo Code Talkers “were my heroes.”

Code Talker

He was just a boy,
When leaving his domain.
Of silence and its beauty,
And soon he would attain.

The fame he didn’t seek
In those foreign lands.
This young Navajo boy,
A hero of his clan.

Possessed a native tongue,
That know one understood.
Accept the Navajo people,
A close nit brotherhood.

He was just a boy,
When leaving his domain,
Of silence and its beauty
A hero he became.

Respect

When will we ever learn,
To give them all there do.
Respect is all they want,
Just like me and you.

Why can’t we all remember?
How they fought and died.
To save this nations honor,
And did it all with pried.

These young Navajo braves,
Code talking brought them fame.
A proud Navajo nation,
Hero’s they became.

They asked the boys to fight,
In many foreign lands.
These young Arizona natives,
Fought bravely with their band.

When will we ever learn?
To give them all there do,
Respect is all they want,
Just like you and me.

Our hearts are heavy as we have lost one of our own. Navajo Code Talker Lemuel Bahe Yazzie of Whitecone, Ariz., passed away at age 91 on Friday, May 28th, 2010.

Born on June 2, 1918, Yazzie was inducted in the U.S. Marine Corps on Sept. 21,1944, and served in the 4th Marine Division and the 6th Marine Division as a radio telephone operator from July 22, 1945, until March 30, 1946. He was honorably discharged on April 28, 1946.

Along with other Navajo Code Talkers, Yazzie received the Congressional Silver Medal for his Marine service, and he was also an active member of the Navajo Code Talkers Association. In fact, he participated in our group trip to New York City last fall for Veteran’s Day, and those memories and many others will keep us smiling with warmth in our hearts.

May he rest in peace.

For more on Navajo Code Talker Lemuel Bahe Yazzie’s extraordinary life and achievements, please click here.

Some 250 employees gave generously with payroll deductions to make up the collective donation to the two charities.

We thank the employees of iFreedom Direct Corporation for their generosity and support of the Navajo Code Talkers Museum Project.

For full information on their donation please read their company press release.

The museum will be designed to provide an immersive learning environment and will feature powerful interactive exhibits and activities, living demonstrations of the Navajo code and culture, and classrooms for educational seminars and programs.

Give a gift in your name or give a gift on behalf of someone else. All contributions are warmly welcome and greatly appreciated and are, of course, tax deductible.

To make a donation just click here

Happy Holidays!

Here is a nice video from the Scripps Howard Foundation on their visit.

There were also  news stories, including one in the Seattle Times

The Navajo Code Talkers also appeared on the G. Gordon Liddy radio program

Here are a few of the media clips that featured The Navajo Code Talkers during Veterans Day. Below are two videos that can be found on the Navajo Code Talkers Official YouTube Page

Other media clips:

ABC News National

New York Post

Yahoo! Photo Slideshow

Click here for additional photos of the Navajo Code Talkers in NYC