06/06/2026
📢 Update: We want to correct an error in our original post.
We previously referred to "the last Navajo Code Talker" — and that framing was wrong. We apologize for the mistake and want to set the record straight.
Two Code Talkers are still with us today: Peter MacDonald and Thomas H. Begay. Their lives are a living testament to everything we wrote below, and they deserve to be named and honored accurately.
The Navajo Code Talkers represent one of the most remarkable chapters in military history — and their story is still alive through the men who served.
During World War II, Navajo Code Talkers used their native language to transmit military communications in a code that enemy forces never broke. They participated in every Marine assault in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945 — Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima — sending thousands of messages without a single error. Their courage, intelligence, and dedication became a source of pride for Native communities and the nation alike.
For many years their contributions remained classified and unknown to the public. Yet their service reflected something far greater than military achievement. At a time when many Native people faced intense pressure to abandon their languages and cultures, the Navajo language became one of the most powerful tools in the entire war effort.
Today we honor Peter MacDonald and Thomas H. Begay — the two surviving Code Talkers — and remember all those who served beside them. Their story reminds us that language is power, culture is strength, and the wisdom carried by Indigenous communities continues to shape history.