Ten East Valley Young Marines and adult volunteers from Chandler joined 76 others from across the country in Window Rock on Aug. 14 to honor and learn from the few living World War II heroes — the Navajo Code Talkers — and their families.

The Navajo code talkers, selected by the U.S. Marine Corps, took part in every assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. They transmitted messages by telephone and radio in their native Diné language, a code that the Japanese never broke, according to a news release.

The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) youth leadership and development program for boys and girls who are age 8 through completion of high school.

The organization promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members, the release sta

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