How Did Philip Johnston Use The Navajo Code Talker?

A former WWI veteran named Philip Johnston came up with the idea of a code talker. ”When US military codes kept being broken by the Germans in WW1 a Native American tribe came to the rescue. They just spoke their own language - which baffled the enemy - and paved the way for other Native American ‘code talkers’ in WW2” (bbc.com). Philip Johnston explained his idea to the military and was questioned. ”His plan was centered around using Navajo Code Breakers to help the marines fighting in WW2. His proposal was initially greeted with skepticism by the US Marine Corps” (american-historama.org). Despite this, he still pushed for his idea and eventually it happened. “Eventually Philip Johnston's idea was put to the test at Camp Elliott near San Diego, California.

The code Johnston came up with was very complex. ”Philip Johnston proposed the use of a Native American language in conjunction with a letter-symbol replacement encryption system” (www.encyclopedia.com). The code was in full affect and the enemy was baffled. ”Even if the Germans were listening, they couldn't understand. It was also the quickest way of coding and decoding information, faster than any machine, giving US troops a crucial edge over the enemy” (bbc.com). Even after the war, the code remained useful to the United States. ”Johnston's code was as functional and unbreakable as he originally asserted. The code not only remained uncracked throughout the course of World War II, but also was used in the Korean and Vietnam Wars with similar success”