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The Navajo Code Was Never Broken Despite the thousands of messages that Code Talkers sent during WWII, their code was never broken by the Japanese or the Germans, who were very good at decryption.
Why was the Navajo Code declassified?
A Secret Program It wasn’t until 1968 that the Navajo Code Talkers program was declassified by the military. The military did not order the Comanche Code Talkers to keep silent about their jobs in the war. However, mostly due to security concerns, the program was not discussed outside the Comanche community.
Why was the Navajo Code never written down?
The Navajo code was completely oral and never written down. As a result, each code talker, of which there were more than 400 by the end of World War II, had to know every code word by memory. This was not difficult for the Navajos since their language lacked a written script.
This code that was developed for the Marine Corps served with success from 1942 to 1945. The complex and thoroughly detailed nature of the Navajo Code made it perfect for military use and was different from other Native American codes. Except for a close call, the Code was never broken.
How many Navajo code talkers are still alive 2020?
four
More than 400 qualified Navajo Code Talkers served during WWII and only four are still living. Marine Corps Veteran Peter MacDonald (pictured above) is one of those four. He continues to share his story and experience as a Navajo Code Talker.
Is the Navajo code broken?
In 1942, 29 Navajo men joined the U.S. Marines and developed an unbreakable code that would be used across the Pacific during World War II. They were the Navajo Code Talkers. The Code Talkers conveyed messages by telephone and radio in their native language, a code that was never broken by the Japanese.
For example, the word for the warship “cruiser” would be spoken as “LO-TSO-YAZZIE”. If the message was intercepted, however, even if the enemy had the knowledge of the Navajo language, “LO-TSO-YAZZIE” would only mean “small whale”.
What was the Navajo code in the war?
Navajo code talkers transmit information on vital troop movements from just behind the frontlines on Bougainville, December 1943. The Japanese cracked every American combat code until an elite team of Marines joined the fight. One veteran tells the story of creating the Navajo code and proving its worth on Guadalcanal.
What happened to the Navajo code talkers at Iwo Jima?
During the nearly month-long battle for Iwo Jima, for example, six Navajo Code Talker Marines successfully transmitted more than 800 messages without error. Marine leadership noted after the battle that the Code Talkers were critical to the victory at Iwo Jima. At the end of the war, the Navajo Code remained unbroken.
The hard work of the Navajo Code Talkers was not recognized until after the declassification of the operation in 1968. President Ronald Reagan gave the Code Talkers a Certificate of Recognition and declared August 14 “Navajo Code Talkers Day” in 1982.
Did a Navajo code prove its worth on Guadalcanal?
One veteran tells the story of creating the Navajo code and proving its worth on Guadalcanal. Chester Nez, photographed in Arizona during the war. “I hope my words will keep the memory of the code talkers alive.” (Courtesy of Chester Nez/Berkley Caliber)