Many of you were made aware of the Code Talker medals that we were acquiring for our military exhibit. What we were just made aware of before Dorian hit, was the fact that a Navajo sculpted and ordered castings of his very own design to honor the heroes within his tribe.
Virgil and Alyce J. Oliver, both Retired Sergeant Majors, came in with their family and spoke with us. They were lovely people and we felt blessed that they shared their stories. Virgil’s father, Willard Oliver, and Uncle, Lloyd Oliver, were both code talkers in WWII. Before he left to continue along his vacation, he brought us a coin and shared another story. That he designed this coin himself and had a limited number made before Congress ever thought of handing out the medals we now have on display. He had been carrying this one around for a while, knowing he would find a place for it to be.
We are still deciding on how to best display this amazing gift in our Code Talker Exhibit. We can’t wait to share it with all of you in person.