National Code Talker day to bring 101-year-old veteran to Phoenix

The National Code Talker Day will bring a 101-year-old veteran to Phoenix. The Navajo Code Talkers, recruited by the Marine Corps during World War II, created a code based on their native language to frustrate the Japanese force and aid U.S. victories in the Pacific War. This code remained secret for decades and in 1982, President Ronald Reagan designated August 14 as the day to honor the Navajo Code Talkers and all Native Americans who served in the war.

Thomas H. Begay, one of the last two remaining Code Talkers, will be among the crowd gathered in Phoenix to mark the day. Begay, who grew up speaking only Navajo, joined the Marines at 13 after being sent to a boarding school. He later served in Korea and retired from the military in 1953. Another surviving Code Talker is Peter MacDonald, who joined the Marine Corps at 15 after lying about his age.

MacDonald, who later became a powerful politician on the Navajo Nation, met with Trump in the Oval Office in 2017 to share the history of the Navajo Code Talkers.