NAVAJO CODE TALKERS DAY: THE NATIVE AMERICAN HEROES


By akirschbaum
Today, III MEF honors the 400 – 500 Native Americans who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during WWII as code talkers. On August 14, 1982, President Ronald Reagan declared the day as National Navajo Code Talkers Day, recognizing and honoring their legacy and place in America's history.

During World War II, the U.S. needed a new strategy to transfer sensitive information without the enemy knowing it. To help with the war effort, 29 Navajo men joined the Marines in 1942. Their main role is to develop an unbreakable code to use across the Pacific, and this team would then be the Navajo Code Talkers. From 1942 to 1945, they participated in all of the Pacific movements, including Tarawa, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Guadalcanal. These brave code-takers would relay messages via telephone using their native language that the Japanese forces could not decode. Thus, Navajo Code Talkers Day was born and we celebrate them every August 14.

A Brief History of the National Navajo Code Talkers Day

According to the CIA's official site, the Navajo language was near perfect because it was used for military codes; that's why the Navajo Code Talkers Day was created to recognize its contribution and brilliance. However, during the war, the real code was not actually the language. Rather, the code was in the language of the Navajo. It was never deciphered by the enemies, and due to its success, it was used throughout the war. Everything started in 1942 when the United States was in World War II. The idea came from Philip Johnston, who had grown up in the Navajo Nation and was the son of a missionary. Thus, he suggested using their language as a code. Then, the government made its move and recruited more than 400 Navajo men to join the war. This decision was a success, and they could transmit over 800 messages successfully with no errors, helping win the war.With its victory, former President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the National Navajo Code Talkers Day in 1982. Its aim was to recognize all of the tribes and their efforts during the war. He even recognized other tribes for their contributions, such as the Chippewa, Sioux, Choctaw, and Creek.

The Code Talkers Behind the Navajo Code

There were 29 Navajo men who joined the pilot program of being a code taker, and after they had completed the basic training, they worked closely with the Marine communication teams to create a complex, two-type code of more than 211 words. In the testing phase, Marine officials were stunned by how fast the Navajo Marines could transmit, decode, and receive messages. They had fused the Navajo language with military terminology. At that time, there was no other form of military code that was as fast and accurate as theirs. The Marines expanded the Code Talkers program with a successful pilot program and recruited another 200 Navajo men. Overall, 400 Navajo men served as Code Talkers.

How to Celebrate Navajo Code Talkers Day

There are a lot of easy ways to celebrate National Navajo Code Talkers Day. While attending public events is a common thing, there are also other ways you can participate in the celebration.You can learn more about the history of the Navajo people or the brave code takers. You can read some incredible books such as the Navajo Code Talkers by Nathan Aaseng, or you can also go for Unsung Heroes of World War II: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers by Deanne Durrett.Suppose you are not a fan of reading. In that case, you can also watch some documentaries, such as The Navajo Code Talkers: The Epic Story, directed by Allan Silliphant True Whispers, and The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers, produced by Yvonne Russo.Lastly, you can also go for a road trip and visit a museum to have a more up close and first hand experience of the past. You can go to the World War II Museum in New Orleans or the Navajo Code Talker Museum in Tuba City. These are two great places to be when celebrating the Navajo Code Talkers Day.

National Navajo Code Talkers Day Legacy

Although the code talkers are not that much publicly known, they still have a lasting influence even in today's culture. During the 2002 film Windtalkers, the Navajo Code Talkers made an appearance. There were also several books that were specifically talking about the brave Code Talkers.Related reads:


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