The Gallup Independent from Gallup, New Mexico • Page 29

Section C-The Gallup NM Independent-Wednesday, Auaust 1 1 Page 13 ncuiicsuuy, MUUUbl Navajo Code Talkers: Stories of Valor and Patriotism By JERRY KAM.MEK WINDOW ROCK, Bureau) Phoenix television station Kf'HO presented a 90-mimitc telethon to riase money to support the Navajo Code Talkers' (rip to the East Coasl this summer, From June 30 to July 7. a contingent of Code Talkers participated in Bicentennial events in Williamsburg, Philadelpha and Washington. They led the National Bicentennial Paradein Washington. July marching as the official unit. The major source for the following short history of the Code Talkers was the book "Tlie Navajo Code Talkers" by Doris Paul, published uy LJorrance and Co.of Philadelphia.

Many stories of valoi 1 and patriotism during this Bicentennial year, but few are morcstirring than theslory of the Navajo Code Talkers. When the United States entered World War II, these young men left the canyons and mesas of their reservation home to join the Marines and play a crucial role in such combat arenas as Guadalcanal, Saipan, Tarawa, and low Jima. Rapid transmission of combat messages was a risky business in World War II, before the development of the sophisticated cryptographic technology now in use. And Japanese intelligence experts proved themselves highly skilled in deciphering coded American messages, learning in advance of the, time and direction of American attacks and the force that would be commitled to them. Missionary Son Has Idea Shortly after Pearl Harbor, the son of a Prolestant missionary lo the Navajo suggested to the the idea ol developing a combat code from the Navajo language.

While grow- inguponthe reservation, Pltilip Johnston had learned the language from his Navajo playmates and knew that its complex syntax and complicated tonal qualities could baffle even the most experienced linguists. The Marines received the suggestion with equal measures of skepticism and curiosity until Johnston and several Navajo men staged a demonstration at Camp Elliot, near San Diego. Major General Vogelwatched in appreciative amazement as English messages were swiftly transmitted in Navai'j and translated back into English. Convinced of the merit of Johnston's idea, Vogcl requested from Washington authorization for a program to develop and implement the Navajo code. In April, 1942, Marine recruiters traveled lo A rizon a a nd New Mexico com muniti es of th Navajo Reservation to select the first group of Navajo Code Talkers.

Twenty nine young men from places like Lukachukai, Teec-nos-pos, and Chinleweresoon on then-way to training at San Diego. A Native American language which many of the men had been forbidden to speak while-attending government schools was to- make a uniquely important contribution lo American victory in the Pacific. How Navajo Code Worked Much of the effort of this first group was lo develop the code terms which would later carry critical information 'on the beaches and in the jungles of the Pacific Theater, they had lo find words in (heir own tongue which could describe complex military operations. The words could not beoverly long and had to lend themselves to ready memorization. In combat, transmission and comprehension had lo be instantaneous; there would be not time to consult code books.

The men sea rcheiwbr Navajo words that had a logical association with the military terms they would signify. Thus the code word for "observation "Ne-as-jah" (owl in Navajo), and "submarine" received the code word "Besh-lo" (iron fish). "Aircraft carrier" became "Tsidi-ney-ye-hi" (bird carrier). Similarly, the Navajo word for potato meant hand grenade, and the word for egg meant bomb. A word-alphabet was devised to spell words for which no code term had been developed.

The letter A was Wol-la-chee, the Navajo word for ant; was Shush, the word for bear, and so on. Saipan was thus spelled in the followin manner by the Navjo Code.Talkers:"Dibeh (sheep). Wol-la-chee (ant), Tkin (ice), Bi-sodih (pig). Wol-la-chee (ant). Nesh-chee (nut)." As an added safegurard, other words were later found for the most commonly used letters.

By the end of the war, 411 I er ms ad been devised lo carry vital information past Japanese intelligence. One pictures an eager Japanese cryptologist hunced over his radio, pen in hand, submitting to progressive stages of bafflement, frustration, and despair. The code was never cracked. Prove Japanese lo Distraction A post war article in the San Diego Union gave a graphic description of Hie effect of the code: "For three years, wherever the marienes landed, the Japanese got an earful of strange gurgling noises, interspersed with other sounds resembling the call of a Tibetan monk and (he sound of a hot water bottle being emptied. Huddled over their radio sets, bobbing in assault barges, in foxholes on the beaches, in slit trenches deep in the jungle, the Navajo Marines transmitted and received messages, orders, vital information, The Japanese ground their teelh and committed hari-kari." One Code Talker recalled testing the code against Marine intelligence officers: "Those intelligence men recorded some of our messages and look them back lo their olfices to decode.

They sat around for weeks (ry- ing to break them down and wouldn't do it. Of course, we break down those messages in three seconds." After they completed training, 27 of the Code Talkers were shipped to Guadalcanal to begin use of the Code in combat. Two of (he original 29 remained in San Diego lo work as recruiters andinsruclorstorlhenearly400 other Navajo men who would become Code Talkers. The effecliveness of (he code was described after the war by Marine Major Howard Conner, signal officer (or the Fifth Marine Division al Iwo Jima: 'During the firsUS hours, while we'werelandingandconsolidat- ing our shore positions, I had six Navajo radiosoperalingaround the clock. In lhal period alone, Ihey sent and received over 800 messages without error." "WereilnottortheNavajos," Conner said, "the Marines would never have laken low Jima." 'Birds Are on the Way' The Code Talkers were not assigned exclusively to communications work.

When (here was a lull in the action, or when information did nol require the secrecy of the code, they often performed regular duty. But the men were always near (he radios. And when a message came in with the names "Arizona" or "New Mexico," they knew a message in Navajo The Bargain You To Our Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial NEW AND USED FURNITURF WELCOME CEREMONIAL VISITORS! WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR STAY IN "THE LAND OF DOC AND ELAINE KOLLIDAY was coming and rushed lo receive it. The code was especially effective in reporting the location of enemy artillery and in directing lire from American positions. Foward observers would pinpoint coordinates and give Ihe information to the Code Talkers for transmission.

One message in Navajo gave word thai birds were on the way and Lh al there won Id be a squaw dance in a certain sector of the battlefield. It wasn't and an nouncement of a social event, howeyer.lt was an alert to Americans in that sector lhat enemy planes were on Ihe way lo bomb Iheir positions. in a IE-rise situation on Saipan, A Code Talker Iransmitted a less conventional bul no less critical message. As a battalion of Marines occupied a position that had been vacated by the Japanese shortly before, they found themselvescomingunder fire from American artillery. Frantically Ihey radioed head- quarterstoassurethemthatlhe forces in that position wore American.

But the Japanese had successfully imitated American voices many limes previously.andtheshellingwas continued. Then a terse question came over the radio. "Do you have a Navajo?" headquarlers demanded. There was a single Navajo in Ihe Balllalion, and Ihe short message he broadcast provided confirmation lhat these men were indeed Americans. The artillery fire was immediately redirected to the new Japanese position.

Avoided Publicity unlil When the war ended with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945, the Navajo Code Talkers returned lo Ihepeaceof Iheir reservation homes. But there was no outpouring of acclaim for their re- a a efforts. The men themselves had agreed to keep themselves out of the spotlight lo seek no publicity. The late Clare Thompson, a former Code their reasoning: "If there was going to be another war, and this country needed our services, we all wanted lobe ready and able to report back lo duty. "If we were lo ever again be as effec- tive as we were on he slopes of All.

Surauathi. we had lo the code a secret." The first national recognition of the Navajo Code Talkers was Ihus delayed unlil June of 1969, when they were feled al a reunion of the Fourlh Marine Division in Chicago. Since that time they have marched in parades in Ihe N'avajo Tribal Fair. Ihe Callup Inter-Tribal Ceremo-. nial, and Hie Hose Bowl.

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