Posted on 10/11/2021 12:51:05 PM PDT by Robert DeLong
Peter MacDonald is one of the last remaining Navajo Code Talkers. The former chairman of the Navajo Nation recently sat down with VAntage Point staff to explain what made the “unbreakable” code so effective, and how it helped save lives and secure victory in the Pacific.
“Without Navajo, Marines would never have taken the island of Iwo Jima,” he said. “That’s how critical Navajo Code was to the war in the Pacific.” The Unbreakable Code
Code Talkers used native languages to send military messages before World War II. Choctaw, for example, was used during World War I. The Marine Corps, however, needed an “unbreakable” code for its island-hopping campaign in the Pacific. Navajo, which was unwritten and known by few outside the tribe, seemed to fit the Corps’ requirements.
Twenty-nine Navajos were recruited to develop the code in 1942. They took their language and developed a “Type One Code” that assigned a Navajo word to each English letter. They also created special words for planes, ships and weapons.
Understanding Navajo didn’t mean a person could understand the code. While a person fluent in the language would hear a message that translated into a list of words that seemingly had no connection to each other, a code talker would hear a very clear message.
Here is an example:
Navajo Code: DIBEH, AH-NAH, A-SHIN, BE, AH-DEEL-TAHI, D-AH, NA-AS-TSO-SI, THAN-ZIE, TLO-CHIN Translation: SHEEP, EYES, NOSE, DEER, BLOW UP, TEA, MOUSE, TURKEY, ONION Deciphered Code: SEND DEMOLITION TEAM TO …
In addition to being unbreakable, the new code also reduced the amount of time it took to transmit and receive secret messages. Because all 17 pages of the Navajo code were memorized, there was no need to encrypt and decipher messages with the aid of coding machines. So, instead of taking several minutes to send and receive one message, Navajo code talkers could send several messages within seconds. This made the Navajo code talker an important part of any Marine unit.
Lots more at the search results page:
This is what the Navaho code talker said Iwo Jima on blogs.va.com
BTW, there is a short video at the link. 🙂
Wasn’t there a feature film about these codebreakers? Windtalkers, I believe? I can’t be sure; I’ve never seen the movie.
Meet many of them at different venues when I live in New Mexico, great friendly and modest men all
Yes, 2002 Wind Talkers, definitely worth watching.
(While you're in Kayenta, stop at the Burger King and look at the Navajo Code Talker display inside.)
Thus is what needs to be taught in schools.
“Wasn’t there a feature film about these codebreakers? Windtalkers, I believe? I can’t be sure; I’ve never seen the movie.”
Yes but don’t bother. It was more about the Nicholas Cage character than the actual Code Talkers. Pure drek just filmed to take advantage of the WW2 nostalgia of the time.
It was a disgusting piece of garbage that was more about the white guy (Nicolas Cage) than the actual code talkers. It really was an insult to the code talkers themselves.
Hollywood hasn’t made a decent war movie in years.
We seem to have different views on the Windtalkers movie. It was 70% the Nicholas Cage character, 15% code talkers and the rest slightly relevant semi-history.
Nick Cage...sucking the life out of every movie he’s in.
Totally agree. What a shame. It’s a great story that practically tells itself. Deserved better.
I served with the grandson of one of these men.
Semper Fi.
L
“Inspired By True Events” = A bunch of made up BS
That must have been as interesting person to know.
Thank you for saving me 2 hours of drivel!
He was.
L
It was directed by John Woo. Can’t reasonably expect more than it was. Though I was surprised to learn that apparently the Marines used blackpowder in their artillery and filled all the shells with gasoline. At least that’s what I saw on screen. That and that it was partially filmed in the Southern California part of the Pacific. And the paper thin characters.
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