Navajo Code Talkers A Brief History
Navajo Code Talkers: A Brief History In war, the effective communication of messages is crucial to ensure victory. One important method for protecting information is the use of code or encryptions. ... During World War II, a small group of Navajo Indians created and then carried an unbreakable code into the Pacific that helped the United States to victory. Philip Johnston, the son of a Protestant missionary, is credited with the idea of using wartime code based on the Navajo language. He spent much of his childhood on the Navajo reservation, learning their language and customs. ... He proposed a code system that would never have to be changed on a regular basis, and that would not fall into enemy hands because it would never have to be written down (Paul 10). ... For example, a machine gun would be coded as a fast shooter and transmitted in the Navajo language (Rosenberg). ... A General present immediately requested permission to recruit two hundred Navajo Indians for this assignment. ... Recruiters visited the Navajo reservation and selected the first thirty code talkers (one dropped out, so twenty-nine started the program).