WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The U.S. Marines knew where to find one: the Navajo Nation. Marine Corps leadership selected 29 Navajo men, the Navajo Code Talkers, who created a code based on the complex, unwritten Navajo language. The code primarily used word association by assigning a Navajo word to key phrases and military tactics.

Detailed explanation-2: -During World War II, sending and receiving codes without the risk of the enemy deciphering the transmission required hours of encrypting and decrypting the code. The U.S. Marine Corps, in an effort to find quicker and more secure ways to send and receive code, enlisted Navajos as code talkers.

Detailed explanation-3: -Because the Japanese had broken all the codes sent over the radio waves, the Marines were desperate to find a secure way to communicate vital information with precious little time. After several successful tests, the Navajo language was approved as a communication code.

Detailed explanation-4: -In May 1942, the first 29 Navajo recruits attended boot camp. Then, at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California, this first group created the Navajo code. They developed a dictionary and numerous words for military terms. The dictionary and all code words had to be memorized during training.

Detailed explanation-5: -What is a code talker? A code talker is the name given to American Indians who used their tribal language to send secret communications on the battlefield.

Detailed explanation-6: -Biography of Navajo Code Talker Chester Nez, together with a video recording of his oral history interview from the Veterans History Project archives.