American Indian and Alaska Native soldiers who used their languages to develop unbreakable codes for the military are receiving a long overdue honor today.

The Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008 authorized Congressional Gold Medals for Code Talkers who fought during World War I and World War II. The awards will be presented during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

"This is long overdue," Wallace Coffey, the chairman of the Comanche Nation, told Agence France Presse.

The Comanche Nation sent 17 Code Talkers into battle for World War II, The Lawton Constitution reported. They are among the veterans from more than 30 tribes who will receive the Congressional Gold Medal.

The ceremony will be broadcast at 11am Eastern time at speaker.gov/live.

Get the Story:
Code Talkers finally get recognition as heroes (The Lawton Constitution 11/18)
Native American code talkers to be honored (The Los Angeles Times 11/19)
Word Power: How Code Talkers Helped to Win Wars (American Forces Press Service 11/19)
South Dakota military Code Talkers to be recognized by President (KSFY 11/19)
Oglala Sioux members to be honored for “code talking” during WWII (Nebraska Radio Network 11/20)
Press Release: Cherokee Nation to receive Code Talkers Congressional Gold Medal (Cherokee Nation 11/20)
Tyler man to receive honor for code-talker grandfather (The Tyler Morning News 11/20)
Tlingit code talkers to be honored for wartime service (The Juneau Empire 11/20)
Unbreakable: Native American 'code talkers' helped beat Germans (Agence France Presse 11/20)

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Code Talkers to receive Congressional Gold Medal at US Capitol (11/18)