THE UNBROKEN CODE

Introduction

Pearl Harbor went under attack by the Japanese in the Pacific. During this time the news went over the radio airwaves and everyone who heard the news knew that war was imminent. The Navajo people had a reason to resent the white people during that time, but to protect their land and their way of life on the reservation was of upmost importance to them. Regardless of their opinions, many would enlist into the Marine Corps. There came about the first Twenty nine Navajo men that use their native language to defend their way of life. These Navajo men formed a code that would be unbreakable to the enemy. The United States Marine Core enlisted these men and deployed them to various locations throughout the Pacific Theater. The primary mission as “talkers” , was to transmit voice coded messages to the front lines rapidly and accurately. When given other assignments, these men showed the willingness to work any job that was assigned to them and they excelled at it.

History

Choctaw and Comanche Indians first used their native language in 1940 during World War I. This was the first time an attempt was made to encrypt messages in the native language. Unfortunately due to the limited vocabulary in the Comanche and Choctaw language, it was difficult for these Indians to translate English terminology to their language. Words like reconnaissance, right flank, and various other military terms had no expressions in their vocabulary. Toward the end of the war substitute words were implemented in order to pass coded messages that could not be broken by the German and Japanese soldiers. After Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1942, the need for coded messages for a second time is a main concern for the military. Messages in...

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...immeasurable price on the soul of mankind. Sometimes too easily overshadowed by the sadness of those days of war are the memories of friendships made and personal acts of human kindness. I humbly stand here to say that you and your deeds have not been forgotten by the people of Saipan, tinian, and the rest of the Northern Nariana Islands.” Irreguardless of what happens in war, there are people who will always be touched by the selfless service of those who volunteer to protect, “Ne-he-mah.”

Works Cited

Avila, Judity Schiess, Code Talker, The Berkley Publishing Group, New York,

2011.

McClain, S., Navajo Weapon, Books Beyond Borders, Inc., Boulder, Colorado

1994.

Meadows, William C., The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II, University

Of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, 2002.

Paul, Doris A., The Navajo Code Talkers, Dorrance & Company, Philadelphia,

1973.