The Navajo Code Talker

Above, radio equipment on display at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the more interesting things about the Pacific War in World War II was the use of Navajo Code Talkers.

In recent years, the Navajo Code Talkers' role during the war has been extensively celebrated. And rightly so.

According to the Central Intelligence Agency website:

Navajo Code Talkers and the Unbreakable Code

In the heat of battle, it is of the utmost importance that messages are delivered and received as quickly as possible. It is even more crucial that these messages are encoded so the enemy does not know about plans in advance. 

During World War II, the Marine Corps used one of the thousands of languages spoken in the world to create an unbreakable code: Navajo. 

World War II wasn’t the first time a Native American language was used to create a code. 

During World War I, the Choctaw language was used in the transmission of secret tactical messages. It was instrumental in a successful surprise attack against the Germans. 

Germany and Japan sent students to the United States after World War I to study Native American languages and cultures, such as Cherokee, Choctaw, and Comanche. 

Because of this, many members of the U.S. military services were uneasy about continuing to use Code Talkers during World War II. They were afraid the code would be easily cracked, but that was before they learned about the complexity of Navajo.

Above, "The Legendary Navajo Code Talker" statue at Window Rock Tribal Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In Window Rock, Arizona, Navajo Code Talker equipment is on display at the Navajo Nation Museum and there is a statue of "The Legendary Navajo Code Talker" at the Window Rock Tribal Park. Window Rock is the capital of the Navajo Nation.

Near to my home in New Mexico is Fort Wingate. It was at Fort Wingate that the Navajo Code Talkers received training.

From Legends of America:

Most famous of Fort Wingate’s World War II contributions, however, were the Navajo code talkers who trained here. The code talkers baffled Japanese forces in the Pacific using a code based on the Navajo language.