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Navajo Code Talkers In World War Two

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There were between 375 and 420 Navajo Code Talkers over the course of World War Two (Adam Jevec). However, it wasn’t until 1968 (Adam Jevec) that these highly qualified individuals were recognized for their work. They were an important part of the United States’ success during World War Two.They had an amazing code that was almost impossible to break. Navajo Code Talkers majorly contributed to U.S. success in World War Two, had an unbreakable code, and had a deep and rich history with more obstacles than one could imagine. One of the most important and best known American successes was winning the Second World War. World War Two is one of the most infamous wars in modern history. The two main powers in this war were the Axis Powers and the …show more content…

success in World War Two. While there were many battles fought, one important battle was at Iwo Jima. In the article “American Indian Code Talkers,” it says, “5th Marine Division signal officer Major Howard Connor stated, “Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.” After this Iwo Jima served as an emergency landing site, saving the lives of 2400 airmen (Iwo Jima fact sheet). Code talkers sent over 800 messages across the lines without error during this battle (Sandi Gohn). In an interview, Chester Nez said, “We could never make a mistake, because many communications involved bombing coordinates.” Navajos sent and received all kinds of very important messages helping keep our troops safe and successful. By sending and receiving some of the Marine Corps’ most important code Navajos helped to secure the U.S. win in World War …show more content…

The kind of code used was simple but the way the Navajo language was used made it hard to crack. “The code primarily used word association by assigning a Navajo word to key phrases and military tactics. This system enabled the Code Talkers to translate three lines of English in 20 seconds, not 30 minutes as was common with existing code-breaking machines.”(INTEL). This made it faster so there was less risk of the Radio talkers and code talkers being caught. Also, this helped tasks be completed quicker so that they could get more done as well as saving lives by communicating important information faster. Intell said, “At the end of the war the code remained unbroken.” This shows the code was good enough not to be cracked. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Tokyo had succeeded in breaking the U.S. and British diplomatic codes.” The Japanese were able to break other codes but not the Navajo code. This unbreakable code was one of the

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Secondly, another role of the Code Talkers was to teach other Navajos how to read, write and learn the codes. The article states, “Later, several hundred more Navajos would join the group and learn the secret code.” This meant that the codes could travel along more people and that the Code Talkers could gain more information about the Japanese troops. In summary, Code Talkers in World War II had to deliver messages and teach other Navajos how to read and write

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456 Words | 2 Pages

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.

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156 Words | 1 Pages

Because Navajo is a complex language that is also uncommon, the Japanese military could not break the code. Although Code Talkers helped the Allied Forces win the war, their efforts were not publicly recognized until the code was declassified

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The Marines that fought were all in the military, and they were the ones fighting the Japanese in the war. The author places himself within the existing scholarship on this topic by emphasizing the unique role that Navajo code talkers played in the war effort, and their contributions to the ultimate victory of the United

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In 1942, Philip Johnston was the son of a missionary, he was reading a newspaper article about an armored division in Louisiana that was trying to come up with a code using Native American languages. He knew a language that would be an unbreakable code. This idea was to use the Navajo language for secure communications. As a child he grew up on a Navajo reservation with his missionary parents. He learned the language and customs growing up.

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832 Words | 4 Pages

Did you know that there were only 375-420 Navajo code talkers during WW2? In the novel, Code Talker by Isaac Bruchac, Ned Begay was presented as one. Ned Begay is a Navajo Native American tribe member who enlisted in the United States military. His goal is to serve his country and prove that Native Americans are just as good as Americans. He faces challenges like learning English because his primary language is Navajo.

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This was the Japanese home turf, and if the Allies could not send a message without it being interpreted, they would not be able to win the war. ​The Navajo​ ​code​ ​talkers of WWII aided the Allied forces in the Pacific Theatre of the war, by developing an uncrackable code. Chester Nez is a Navajo American Indian. His grandparents’ livestock were all brutally killed by the United States in order to make the Navajo tribe more reliant on the government for welfare. He was sent to boarding school as a kid, where it was forbidden to speak Navajo.

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190 Words | 1 Pages

During World War I, the Choctaw language was used to communicate and the Germans could not figure out what they were saying. During World War II, the Navajo language was used for the same reasons what happened during World War I. Twenty-nine Navajo people were gathered and helped to develop the Navajo Code. The language was so rare and hard to understand that it was perfect for code talking. Philip Johnston was a World War I veteran heard about the successes of the Choctaw telephone squad. Even though he is not an Indian, he grew up on the Navajo reservation.

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The Navajos were better suited to the style of fighting. Much of the fighting involved sneaking around in small groups and fighting, much like the old Indian style (Paul, 2003). Maneuvering in the darkness was also easier for the Navajos, because they were used to the absence of light on the reservations (Paul, 2003). The tougher life that the Navajos lived on the reservation was a huge benefit during the war. Many parts of the reservation life helped the code talkers in the

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Throughout the war there were several crucial purposes that the Navajo Code Talkers and those who aided them were able to fulfill, and even though the code talkers didn’t know their special assignments at first, they still participated voluntarily. Navajo Code Talkers and other Native Americans mainly served in the same military units as white soldiers, since they did not fit into the all black units that were available. In addition to being assigned to white units, they were also required to go through basic training, boot camp, and eight weeks of intensive code training. In a June 1943 Arizona Highway magazine article, it states that, “The Navajo was born in the saddle, is inured to hardship, and with the will to fight, which all Navajos

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The Navajo Code Talkers were Native Americans who translated, encoded, and decoded messages during World War II. (Demma) What the code talkers accomplished amounts to much of the US’ success at Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal. After the Choctaw code talkers success in World War I the US was open to new code ideas during World War II.

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Navajo Code talkers were heros to our country and have waited years to be properly acknowledged for their heroic deeds. The unbreakable code based around the Navajo language and the language is one of the hardest to learn. The code had 411 terms that the Navajos turned words into military terms. The code was never broken even after the War. The Navajos life before the war consisting them never leaving there reservations.

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They felt that this country was taken away from them by the white man and should not be required to help in the case of attack, but when war was declared against the Axis powers, The Navajo Nation declared: “We resolve that the Navajo Indians stand ready… to aid and defend our government and its institutions against all subversive and armed conflict and pledge our loyalty to the system and a way of life that has placed us among the greatest people of our race” (Takaki 60). Altogether forty-five thousand Indians served in the U.S. armed forces. Despite this, Indian workers received lower pay that that of whites, In the cities, Indians also experienced discrimination. Ignatia Broker of the Ojibway wrote “Although employment was good because of the labor demand of the huge defense plants, Indian people faced discrimination in restaurants, night clubs, retail and department stores… and worst of all, in housing” (Takaki

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The Navajo Nation extends into the states of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. The Navajo language was used to create a secret code to battle the Japanese. They developed a dictionary and numerous words for military terms. The dictionary and all code words had to be memorized during training. Approximately 400 Navajos were trained as code talkers.

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1055 Words | 5 Pages

The main task of Navajo Code Talkers was to transmit information and talk on troop movements, tactics, order, as well as all crucial battlefield information with the use of the native dialects over radios and telegraphs. The main reason behind the great value of this code was due to the fact that it had been established upon the native language and can never get broken. The Navajo language is a whole entirely different language to learn and has everything to do with the tone it is said in. It can be written one way and when said mean something completely different.

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