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.