A bronze plaque commemorating the eight Hopi Code Talkers who served in World War II will be dedicated today during a Veterans Day observance at the Hopi Veterans Memorial Center in Kykotsmovi.

Between 300 and 500 people are expected to attend today's event at the veterans memorial located on state Highway 264, about 2 miles east of Kykotsmovi. Ceremonies begin at 10 a.m.

Representatives from families of each of the Code Talkers will be on hand, and will receive small replicas of the large plaque. Travis Yaiva, the last surviving Hopi Code Talker, has been invited to attend.

Other scheduled guests include U.S. Army Reserve Col. John Boyd, from the 81st Regional Support Command at Fort Jackson, S.C., who will offer remarks on behalf of the 81st command, and then dedicate the plaque.

After the dedication, there will be a special recognition of female veterans, featuring guest speakers Lt. Col. Mary Williams-Lynch, garrison commander of the Camp Navajo Army National Guard base near Flagstaff, and Pam Rodriguez, from the state Department of Veterans Services.

The plaque will be mounted on the "Wall of Honor" at the veterans memorial.

The plaque says, in part, "The Hopi tribe pays tribute and recognition to the remarkable achievements of these eight Hopi code talkers whose own Hopi language confounded the Japanese and contributed to the liberation of the South Pacific islands and final victory against the military forces of the Empire of Japan in World War II."

In September the Hopi Tribal Council approved spending $50,000 for bronze plaques — including the one for the code talkers — and renovation of the Hopi veterans "Wall of Honor."

Eventually, 12 new separate bronze plaques will honor all Hopi veterans who served honorably in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf wars, as well as in peacetime. They will replace six existing plaques and will add new names of about 270 veterans to total 674.

Included in the approval was the cost of renovating and enlarging the existing "Wall of Honor" so more plaques may be added in the future, and so it can withstand the elements for 25 years.