Navajo Code Talkers in 2012. Photo: Cpl. Bryan Nygaard / U.S. Marine Corps
Veterans from the Navajo Nation will help usher in new leadership in Washington, D.C., next week. The Navajo Code Talkers are marching in the 58th inaugural parade on January 20. The group consists of veterans who used the Navajo language to transmit unbreakable codes during World War II. "On behalf of the Navajo Nation Council, we thank the inaugural planning committee for recognizing and honoring our Diné warriors who have sacrificed a great deal for the entire country and we look forward to supporting them during the inaugural events," Council Speaker LoRenzo Bates said in a press release on Thursday. According to the council, Carlyle Begay, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, is on the planning committee for Trump's inauguration. Begay has said he will be working for the White House in the new administration. "The legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers are long remembered and honored in American history," Begay, a former state lawmaker from Arizona, said. "These warriors have long been nationally praised for their valued contributions to saving many lives and our way of life today. Their participation in the Inaugural parade highlights their contribution of Native American culture and language of the Navajo people." The parade runs from the U.S. Capitol to the White House. It takes place after Republican Donald Trump is sworn into office as the 45th president of the United States. According to the presidential inaugural committee, the parade will feature more than 8,000 participants, ranging from high school and university bands to veterans, representing a couple dozen states. Several national group are also included.
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