Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: Monday, August 12, 2024

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

The Judicial Branch of the Navajo Nation will be closed Wednesday, August 14, 2024, in recognition of Navajo Code Talkers Day.

Chief Justice JoAnn Jayne said, “The Navajo Code Talkers were remarkable and honorable men who used our sacred language in defense of the United States of America. We honor their legacy by taking this day to reflect on their service and the importance of preserving our language.”

National Navaho Code Talkers Day was first recognized August 14, 1982 by President Ronald Reagan. In his proclamation, he stated, “The Navaho Nation, when called upon to serve the United States, contributed a precious commodity never before used in this way. In the midst of the fighting in the Pacific during World War II, a gallant group of men from the Navaho Nation utilized their language in coded form to help speed the Allied victory. Equipped with the only foolproof, unbreakable code in the history of warfare, the code talkers confused the enemy with an earful of sounds never before heard by code experts. The dedication and unswerving devotion to duty shown by the men of the Navaho Nation in serving as radio code talkers in the Marine Corps during World War II should serve as a fine example for all Americans.”

The Navajo Nation designated Navajo Nation Code Talkers Day on August 14 of each year beginning in 2007.