The association brought Code Talkers together, maintained connections among veterans who had served in different units and different campaigns, and provided an institutional voice for the recognition claims that individual veterans might not have been able to advance on their own.

The advocacy involved multiple tracks simultaneously.

Some veterans worked through formal legislative channels, seeking congressional attention to the Code Talker story and building support for recognition legislation.

Others worked through media — giving interviews, cooperating with documentary filmmakers and journalists who were working to bring the story to broader public attention.

Others worked through educational channels, speaking at schools and universities and community events to build the public awareness that would eventually support legislative action.

The process was slow in part because of the specific position Code Talkers occupied relative to the broader landscape of veterans’ recognition.