Code Talkers
When people mention Code Talkers, the mind automatically remembers the Navajo unit within the Marine Corps that fought in the Pacific Theatre, while those are the most famous Code Talkers, they weren't the only ones. Nor were they the first. During the final year of World War I, Colonel A.W. Bloor overheard two of his men conversing in the Choctaw language. Unlike many European languages, which often have words that are mutually intelligible, there was no way he or any other White person could understand what the Choctaws were saying. This gave Bloor an idea. German intelligence officers had been able to crack any code based on a European language, including English. He doubted that anyone would be able to understand a code based on a Native language.
He approached the two men, who enlisted fourteen of their fellow Choctaw. A simple code was worked out among the men, who were embedded among the rest of the American 2nd Battalion on a withdrawal to Chardeny. Although the unit's wire communications were tapped by Germans, the operation went off without enemy interference. The Choctaw code had stumped the Germans. The Native language had its limitation in processing modern military words and improvised with big guns, for artillery and little gun shoots fast, for machine guns. However, the war ended before the codes could be put to further use.
During World War II, commanders in both the European and Pacific Theatres were frustrated by the ability of Japanese and German cryptographers to crack codes based on European Languages. They began searching for people who spoke obscure languages in hopes of producing codes their enemies couldn't crack. Assiniboine, from Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana, Cherokee, Comanche, Hopi, Meskwaki and Seminole men served in the European Theatre. Hitler had heard about the Choctaw in World War I and prior to the outbreak of World War II secretly sent German anthropologists to the United States to try and infiltrate Native tribes and figure out their languages. The Germans came back empty-handed. Little did they know that, among the various Code Talkers later on, Hitler was Crazy White Man.
However, it was the Navajo in the Pacific Theatre who took Code Talking to its highest level. Philip Johnson, a civil engineer for the City of Los Angeles, had grown up on the Navajo Reservation where his parents were missionaries. The Navajo language was unwritten at the time and very difficult to master. Very few mon-Navajo ever did so. Johnson proved that Navajo men could translate an English order into their language, transmit it over radio and re-translate it back into English in 20 seconds, much faster than a cryptographic machine. The first 29 Code Talker were stationed at Camp Pendleton and created the code. Over 200 Navajo were recruited. As with other attempts at codes based on Native languages, the men had to improvise. Shark mean destroyer. Silver oak leaves were lieutenant colonels, go fasters were running shoes, and ink sticks were ink pens. A codebook was developed for classroom purposes only. Each recruit was responsible for memorizing the code and using it appropriately in combat.
At the Battle of Iwo Jima, six Navajo worked around the clock for the first two days, transmitting over 800 messages. Their commander later stated that, without the Navajo, the Marines wouldn't have been able to take Iwo Jima. As the war drew on, the original Code Talkers continually updated and improved the code. Bombers became buzzards and submarines were iron fish. The Navajo Code was used in Korea and only ended in Vietnam. It is one of the few military codes known to never have been broken by the other side. Chester Nez, the last of the original 29 Code Talkers, died in 2014. Most of the Code Talkers never received recognition for their service. Their operation was declassified in 1968. In 1982, surviving Navajo Code Talkers were given a Certificate of Recognition by Ronald Reagan. In 2000, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the 9 original Navajo Code Talkers. In 2008, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to every Native Code Talker, regardless of tribe.
He approached the two men, who enlisted fourteen of their fellow Choctaw. A simple code was worked out among the men, who were embedded among the rest of the American 2nd Battalion on a withdrawal to Chardeny. Although the unit's wire communications were tapped by Germans, the operation went off without enemy interference. The Choctaw code had stumped the Germans. The Native language had its limitation in processing modern military words and improvised with big guns, for artillery and little gun shoots fast, for machine guns. However, the war ended before the codes could be put to further use.
During World War II, commanders in both the European and Pacific Theatres were frustrated by the ability of Japanese and German cryptographers to crack codes based on European Languages. They began searching for people who spoke obscure languages in hopes of producing codes their enemies couldn't crack. Assiniboine, from Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana, Cherokee, Comanche, Hopi, Meskwaki and Seminole men served in the European Theatre. Hitler had heard about the Choctaw in World War I and prior to the outbreak of World War II secretly sent German anthropologists to the United States to try and infiltrate Native tribes and figure out their languages. The Germans came back empty-handed. Little did they know that, among the various Code Talkers later on, Hitler was Crazy White Man.
However, it was the Navajo in the Pacific Theatre who took Code Talking to its highest level. Philip Johnson, a civil engineer for the City of Los Angeles, had grown up on the Navajo Reservation where his parents were missionaries. The Navajo language was unwritten at the time and very difficult to master. Very few mon-Navajo ever did so. Johnson proved that Navajo men could translate an English order into their language, transmit it over radio and re-translate it back into English in 20 seconds, much faster than a cryptographic machine. The first 29 Code Talker were stationed at Camp Pendleton and created the code. Over 200 Navajo were recruited. As with other attempts at codes based on Native languages, the men had to improvise. Shark mean destroyer. Silver oak leaves were lieutenant colonels, go fasters were running shoes, and ink sticks were ink pens. A codebook was developed for classroom purposes only. Each recruit was responsible for memorizing the code and using it appropriately in combat.
At the Battle of Iwo Jima, six Navajo worked around the clock for the first two days, transmitting over 800 messages. Their commander later stated that, without the Navajo, the Marines wouldn't have been able to take Iwo Jima. As the war drew on, the original Code Talkers continually updated and improved the code. Bombers became buzzards and submarines were iron fish. The Navajo Code was used in Korea and only ended in Vietnam. It is one of the few military codes known to never have been broken by the other side. Chester Nez, the last of the original 29 Code Talkers, died in 2014. Most of the Code Talkers never received recognition for their service. Their operation was declassified in 1968. In 1982, surviving Navajo Code Talkers were given a Certificate of Recognition by Ronald Reagan. In 2000, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the 9 original Navajo Code Talkers. In 2008, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to every Native Code Talker, regardless of tribe.
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