WEST VALLEY CITY — As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day, a new monument in West Valley City is quietly taking shape — one that honors a group of Native American heroes whose contributions were once shrouded in secrecy: the Navajo Code Talkers.
For Prestine K. James, the monument is more than a tribute — it’s personal. Her family’s legacy is steeped in military service. Her husband, Harry James, is a Vietnam veteran. Her grandfather served in both World Wars, while her father and uncle served in World War II, and her brother was a medic in Vietnam. But it was only years later that Prestine discovered an even deeper connection to history.
“I had a grandfather and an uncle, George B. Willie, who were code talkers,” she said. “We didn’t know that for several years.”…