Governor Susana Martinez has honored the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers through an executive order that was released in English and in Navajo. Chester Nez, the last of the original 29, died Wednesday, June 4 and was laid to rest on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. Nez and his fellow soldiers were recruited by the U.S. Marine Corps to use their unwritten language to devise a code during World War Two. They developed what can only be described as the most ingenious and successful code in military history. Allied commanders were able to speak to each other, without fear that America’s enemies would intercept and decode their communications.

“Throughout their lives, these men have exemplified what it means to be true patriots, leaving behind a legacy of service and sacrifice. These brave men have changed the course of history, and will live on in our hearts forevermore,” said Governor Susana Martinez in honoring Chester Nez and his fellow Code Talkers.