WindtalkersThe Navajo Code Talkers

Presentation by Robert L. MartinezPrimary Content Source: American Greats,Edited by R. Wilson & S. Marcus.Images as cited.

During WWII, on the dramatic day During WWII, on the dramatic day when Marines raised the flag to when Marines raised the flag to

signal a key an important victory at signal a key an important victory at Iwo Jima, the first word of this Iwo Jima, the first word of this

amazing news crackled over the amazing news crackled over the radio in an odd language.radio in an odd language.

Throughout the war, the Japanese Throughout the war, the Japanese were repeated baffled and confused were repeated baffled and confused

by these odd strange sounds.by these odd strange sounds.

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The language conformed to no The language conformed to no linguistic system known to the linguistic system known to the

Japanese.Japanese.

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The curious sounds were the U.S. The curious sounds were the U.S. military’s one form of military’s one form of

communicating orders and plans communicating orders and plans that the master code breakers in that the master code breakers in

Tokyo were never able to Tokyo were never able to decipher.decipher.

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This perfect code was the language This perfect code was the language of the Navajo tribe. of the Navajo tribe.

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Its use in WWII as a clandestine Its use in WWII as a clandestine system of communication was one system of communication was one

of America’s best kept secrets.of America’s best kept secrets.

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In 1942, after a string of In 1942, after a string of cryptographic (secret code) failures, cryptographic (secret code) failures, the U.S. military was desperate the U.S. military was desperate

to find a way to send to find a way to send messages among troops that would messages among troops that would not be easily intercepted not be easily intercepted

by the enemy.by the enemy.

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Standard codes were an option, but Standard codes were an option, but the cryptographers in Japan could the cryptographers in Japan could quickly crack them. The Japanese quickly crack them. The Japanese

were excellent at intercepting were excellent at intercepting short-distance communications…short-distance communications…

… …on walkie-talkies for example, on walkie-talkies for example, and then having well-trained and then having well-trained English-speaking soldiers either English-speaking soldiers either sabotage the message or send out sabotage the message or send out

false commands to set up an false commands to set up an ambush.ambush.

Since Navajo had never been Since Navajo had never been written down or translated into written down or translated into any other language, it was entirely any other language, it was entirely

limited to the Navajo tribe.limited to the Navajo tribe.

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Not long after the bombing of Pearl Not long after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the military sent 29 Navajos Harbor, the military sent 29 Navajos to Camp Pendleton in California to to Camp Pendleton in California to

begin a test program.begin a test program.

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These first recruits had to develop a These first recruits had to develop a Navajo alphabet since none existed. Navajo alphabet since none existed.

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The developers of the original code assigned Navajo words to represent about 450 frequently-used military and technical terms that did not exist in the Navajo language.

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Turtle = Tank

“ “Everything we used in the code Everything we used in the code was what we lived with on was what we lived with on the reservation every day, the reservation every day,

like the ants, the birds, bearslike the ants, the birds, bears.”.”

– – Code Talker Chester Code Talker Chester NezNez

►Thus, the term for a tank was Thus, the term for a tank was “turtle,” a tank destroyer was “turtle,” a tank destroyer was “tortoise killer.” A battleship a “tortoise killer.” A battleship a “whale.” A hand grenade was “whale.” A hand grenade was “potato.” A fighter plane was a “potato.” A fighter plane was a “hummingbird,” and a torpedo “hummingbird,” and a torpedo plane a “swallow.”plane a “swallow.”

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Japanese Zero fighter plane & bomber

Navaho Code-Talkers Alphabet

►An improvised alphabet was then used to spell words that were not assigned terms.

►A code talker receiving a message first had to translate each Navajo word into its English equivalent. Then he used only the first letter of the English equivalent to piece together words.

►Thus, the Navajo words "wol-la-chee" (ant), "be-la-sana" (apple) and "tse-nill" (axe) could all stand for the letter "a."

►One way to say the word "Navy" in Navajo code would be "tsah (needle) wol-la-chee (ant) ah-keh-di-glini (victor) tsah-ah-dzoh (yucca)."

It didn’t take long for the original It didn’t take long for the original 29 recruits to expand to an elite 29 recruits to expand to an elite corps of Marines, numbering at its corps of Marines, numbering at its height 425 Navajo Code Talkers, height 425 Navajo Code Talkers,

all from the American all from the American Southwest.Southwest.

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►Each Navajo Talker traveled Each Navajo Talker traveled everywhere with a personal everywhere with a personal bodyguard. In the event of capture, bodyguard. In the event of capture, the Talkers had agreed to commit the Talkers had agreed to commit suicide rather than allow the suicide rather than allow the valuable code from falling into the valuable code from falling into the hands of the enemy.hands of the enemy.

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If a captured Navajo was unable to If a captured Navajo was unable to follow these grim instructions, the follow these grim instructions, the

bodyguard’s orders were bodyguard’s orders were understood: shoot and kill his code understood: shoot and kill his code

talker.talker.

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An Example of their Effectiveness

►Major Howard Connor, 5th Marine Division signal officer, declared, "Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.“

►Connor had six Navajo code talkers working around the clock during the first two days of the battle. Those six sent and received more than 800 messages, all without an error.

The language of the Code Talkers, The language of the Code Talkers, and their mission was a secret and their mission was a secret they were all ordered to keep, they were all ordered to keep,

even from their families. even from their families.

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It wasn’t until 1968, when the It wasn’t until 1968, when the military felt convinced that the military felt convinced that the Code Talkers would not be needed Code Talkers would not be needed

for any future wars… for any future wars…

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… …that America learned of the that America learned of the incredible contribution hundreds of incredible contribution hundreds of Native Americans made to winning Native Americans made to winning

history’s biggest war.history’s biggest war.

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