During World War II, the Japanese were able to break almost any American military code, so the US needed a secure method of communication. 29 Navajo Marines were recruited to create a secret military code using their native language, which proved successful in protecting American soldiers' lives. Over 400 Navajo Marines served as code talkers, and their code was used in battles throughout the Pacific Theater, including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Major Howard M. Conner, 5th Marine Division Signal Officer, credited the Navajo Code Talkers with the success of the Marines in taking Iwo Jima. The Navajo Code Talkers remained a secret for decades, but in 1968 the code was declassified. In 2001, the first 29 Navajo Code Talkers were awarded the Congressional Gold Medals, and in November of that year, the Congressional Silver Medals were awarded to the rest of the Navajo Code Talkers. Many Code Talkers have since passed on, but their contribution to the war effort will never be forgotten.