Navajo Code-Talkers

The Navajo Code-Talkers played a vital role in the winning of World War II. Despite all

they accomplished, the Navajo Code-Talkers did not receive recognition or praise for their duty

until years after the war was finished. Through this journey box I will discuss the importance of

the Navajo Code-Talkers and why they did not receive recognition until years later.

At the beginning of World War II, there was a need for an unbreakable code that could be

sent and deciphered quickly. “The ability to send and receive codes without the risk of the enemy

deciphering the transmission was the most desirable end result of military secrecy” (National

Archives, 2016). In 1942, a Marine by the name Philip Johnston had the idea to enlist Navajos

and use their language to send messages. Johnston recruited four Navajos to demonstrate his

idea. After the demonstration, General Vogel was convinced. He wrote a letter to the Marine

Corps commandant recommending Johnston’s idea. In General Vogels letter he stated, “the

Navaho tribal dialect is completely unintelligible to all other tribes and all other people, with the

possible exception of as many as 28 Americans who have made a study of the dialect. This

dialect is thus equivalent to a secret code to the enemy, and admirably suited for rapid, secure

communication” (Vogel. 1942). About one month after General Vogel sent his letter, on May 5,

1942, 29 Navajos arrived in San Diego to become the first code-talkers.

Thomas H. Begay initially joined the marines to become a gun man. However, once he

completed boot camp, they sent him to a confidential area. Thomas H. Begay stated, “I walk in

and there’s a whole bunch of Navajo. The sergeant, Benally says: You’re here at Code Talker

school; You’re gonna be a Code Talker… You’re gonna help us!” (U.S. Dept. of Veterans

Affairs, 2019). The Navajos could not carry notes on the code with them, as a result, they

memorized everything. Once Begay finished code talker school, he was sent to the battle on Iwo
Jima. In the battle Thomas Begay and his fellow Code-Talkers sent close to 800 messages with

no mistakes.

The Navajo code was unbroken throughout the year. The Navajo code was so valuable in

winning World War II that it remained a classified secret until the late 1960s (Arizona

Historymakers Biography, n.d.). Sam Billison, who served as a code talker stated, “To me, I

think it was the language, it wasn't us, we just used it. It’s the Navajo language” (Arizona

Historymakers Biography, n.d.). There were more than four hundred Navajos who served as

Code-Talkers in World War II. Without their service and unbreakable code, I believe we could

have lost World War II. It is important to give the Navajo Code-Talkers the praise and

recognition they deserve. Without the Navajo Code-Talkers history would have been changed for

the worse.
 Sources

Arizona Historymakers Biography. (n.d.). ​Carl Gorman Navajo Code Talker.

https://www.historicalleague.org/historymakers/carl-gorman-navajo-code-talker
National Archives. (2016, September 23). ​Memorandum regarding the enlistment of Navajo
​ ttps://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/code-talkers
Indians. h
U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs. (2019, November 1).​ Thomas H. Begay recalls Navajo Code
Talker program; Battle of Iwo Jima​. YouTube.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Navajo+Code+Talkers+WWII+artifacts&&view=d
etail&mid=E2CE8B14D70CB44ED14CE2CE8B14D70CB44ED14C&rvsmid=46F49E2B5
36528ED41DF46F49E2B536528ED41DF&FORM=VDRVRV
Vogel. (1942, March 6). ​Enlistment of Navaho Indians ​[open letter].
https://www.archives.gov/files/education/lessons/code-talkers/images/letter-01.jpg