From the 2008 VA Watchdog.org.
Sgt. Allen Dale June, USMC, one of the last three living original 29 Code Talkers, spoke before a group of twenty Young Marines. The code they developed, using their native language as a basis, confounded the Japanese who were never able to crack it.
June served in the Pacific Theater until 1945. By the end of the war, there were a total of 420 Navajo Code Talkers out of 3,600 who tried to get in the program.
In 1994, Sgt. June was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his service. On July 26, 2002, the original 29 Code talkers were all awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor with four of the five still-living members attending in Washington, DC: John Brown, Jr., Allen Dale June, Chester Nez, and Lloyd Oliver. Ted Draper, Sr., of New Mexico, was unable to attend.
Mr. Brown has since passed away and recently June also died.
The families of the others no longer living attended.
In November 2002, more than 200 other Code Talkers received the Congressional Silver Medal at Window Rock, Arizona.
The Greatest Generation.
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