The Navajo Code Talkers

The Navajo Code Talkers were a vital part of World War II. Without them the war may have had a drastically different outcome. The Code Talkers were a group of Navajos put into six different military divisions whose simple job was to speak their own language. They used their own language and transformed it into a code that would never be broken by any code breaker. The idea to use the Navajo language was presented by Philip Johnston, a World War I veteran who lived among the Navajo when his was a missionary to them. Johnston came up with the idea when he saw in a newspaper that a Louisiana division was trying to develop an uncrackable code. Johnston promoted the idea of utilizing the Navajo language to the government, but they unsure of the idea because the Japanese had sent people over to study Cherokee and Choctaw languages, but they forgot the Navajo language.

(A primary source of a picture of Philip Johnston with a Navajo Code Talker during the 1940's)

Philip Johnston's reasons for promoting the use of the Navajo language was because it was an unwritten language and was extremely complex to anyone without extensive training in the language. The Navajos created a system of messaging by sending messages of seemingly unrelated Navajo words. However, those words would translate to ant, apple, axe, etc. Then the first letter of each word they translated to would correspond with a letter of the English Alphabet (ex. the Navajo word Wol-la-chee would translate to ant which would correspond with the letter A.)

Below is a link to a primary source of their language, a Navajo Code Talker Dictionary revised in 1945:

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-4.htm

The first Navajo code talkers were a group of 29 who developed the language while attending boot camp. The whole entire dictionary of their code had to be memorized during camp.

During the war, the ranks of the Navajo code talkers exceeded 400 during 1942-1945. They were credited with saving numerous lives and helping to bring about a quick end to World War II.

( Primary source of World War II Navajo code talker in 1943 using a walky-talky.)

The strength of the Navajos' code was unparalleled. The code was nearly so unbreakable that it baffled even the most skilled Japanese code breakers. Because of that code the outcome of the war was drastically different and the Navajo Code Talkers were honored for their great service in the war.

(Pictures of Navajo Code Talkers exchanging code. Click Above to view top picture primary source. Click Below to view bottom picture primary source.)

Links to Secondary Sources

https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2008-featured-story-archive/navajo-code-talkers/index.html


http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-2.htm


http://www.bingaman.senate.gov/features/codetalkers/


http://www.navajocodetalkers.org/


http://history1900s.about.com/od/worldwarii/a/navajacode.htm

Quiz Questions

1. Who promoted the idea of using the idea of using the Navajo language as a code?

2. When did the Navajo code talker units serve in the war?

3. How many different divisions did the Navajos serve in?

Answers

1. Philip Johnston

2. 1942-1945

3. Six