Nine Code Talkers Honored
The Associated Press
14 August 2003

      
GALLUP—Nine Code Talkers were honored here Thursday for their service during World War II.

Navajo Code Talkers developed and used a military code based on their native language to communicate troop movements and other orders during the war.

Ken Montoya, adjutant general of the New Mexico National Guard, and a representative from the office of Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., presented the Code Talkers with certificates.

The men have been named as congressional silver medal recipients, but the medals did not arrive in time for Thursday's ceremony.

The honored Code Talkers included Carl Csinnijinni, Paul Kinlacheeny, Bud Haycock, Willie Notah, Robert Shorty, Alfred Tsosie, Peter Yazza, Kent Henry and Tom Hunter.

Several hundred others who used the code in battles on the Pacific Front were awarded the silver medal in November 2001.

The original 29 Code Talkers were recruited by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942. About 300 Navajo Marines were eventually trained to use the code; approximately 120 of those have been confirmed.

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