American Indian Navajo Code Talkers
Kylie Olson
The Navajo Code was introduced early on in WWII. A civil engineer in Los Angeles, named Philip Johnston introduced the use of the Native American Navajo language to communicate to their own troops in order to not tip off their enemies. The American military decided to use this code because they thought it was useful and it was. They started to recruit Navajo “Code Talkers” in 1941-1942 to create the code. The men who were recruited to create the code were not given the option of going or not. They were forced to go. They were drafted. After the code was created the US Marines implemented a school for soldiers to learn the code so they could be distributed where they are needed. There were about 400 code talkers and the training was intense. The training included intense memorization of the code and communications. The Navajo Code Talkers didn’t end after the war, the code was used in the Korean War and ended early on in the Vietnam War.
This picture is of men that are in the field communicating to someone using the Navajo Code.
This picture is of a surviving Navajo Code Talker.
This is a monument in Window Rock, AZ. In 2011 there were reported to be 70 veterans still alive.
Interview with Bill Toledo
First Person:Legacy Spar for Navajo Code Talkers