President George W. Bush presenting original Navajo Code Talker John Brown Jr., with a Congressional Medal of Honor. wrscouts.com
Former Senator Jeff Bingaman. Ballotpedia.org
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After the War
After the war the Code Talkers program was kept classified by the government for use in future wars because the code had not been broken. For the Navajo Code Talkers, this meant they would go home as if nothing happened. While other families were being reunited and congratulated, the Navajo Code Talkers got no praise from their families. They had done their duty, that was all.
βI had always lived by the Navajo custom which taught that no one should be treated as a hero for doing his duty.β
βChester Nez, Navajo Code Talker, βCode Talkerβ 2011 ββββββββββββββ
Chester Nez, 93, the last of the first 29 code talkers. Nytimes.com
In 1968, more than 20 years after WWII, the program was declassified. It took many more years for the actual recognition to begin. The National Navajo Code Talkers Day was created in 1986. It is celebrated on August 14th. After that, the βHonoring the Navajo Code Talkersβ act was signed into law.
βIn 2000, the Congress of the United States, in an effort to recognize and honor the heroic contributions of the code talkers, authorized the Congressional Gold Medal be struck in their honor.β
βJeff Bingaman, Former senator of New Mexico, βCode Talkerβ 2011
The president presented each of the original Navajo Code Talkers or surviving family members with a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of their contributions to the war and Congressional Silver Medals to the over 400 other Navajos who served as Code Talkers. But to this day, the achievements and accomplishments of the Navajo Code Talkers are not widely known. βββββββ
βWith Intelligence, skill, and courage they were a significant factor in hastening the Allied victory in the pacificβ
βJeff Bingaman, former senator of New Mexico, βCode Talkerβ 2011