Celebrate National Navajo Code Talkers Day Every August 14
On August 14 we celebrate a group of Americans whose contributions in World War II were a big part of why the Allies were able to win. And they did it quietly and with little to no recognition. It’s National Navajo Code Talkers Day.
At the time the code talkers weren’t allowed to talk about what they did. Their fellow Americans only learned of their service and bravery much later.
More than 20 years later, in fact. The US declassified their mission in 1968.
And much later still—37 years after their mission—they were honored with their very own day. On July 28, 1982 President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation designating August 14 as National Navajo Code Talkers Day.
About the Navajo Code Talkers
As you might have guessed from the name, the code talkers were Native Americans. Specifically Navajo.
But what was this “code talking” they did?
It was really quite simple (and at the same time not at all simple): They translated military code words into their native Navajo language. Then they went into the war zones to send and receive the messages using their code.
Why was this so important to the Allied war efforts?
Because we needed a way to communicate without letting the Japanese know what we were doing. And that was getting harder as the Japanese managed to decode pretty much everything we came up with.
Many Japanese code breakers had learned English in the US, so they knew the slang we were likely to use.
But they didn’t know Navajo. Even better, the Navajo language is complex. Many words could have multiple meanings depending on how they were spoken. So 29 Navajo became Marines and helped develop a code.
And it worked.
In 1945 the code talkers landed on Iwo Jima and started delivering their encrypted messages. The Japanese could hear the messages, but it didn’t matter: They had no clue what the messages meant.
The Navajo Code remained unbroken (and unbreakable), and the code talkers kept up their work through the wars that came after. The program ended during the Vietnam War.
Other Code Talkers
There were actually other code talkers in both world wars. Cherokee were the first, during World War I. They were a part of the Army’s 30th Infantry Division. The army also had Choctaw code talkers.
Other Native Americans also served as code talkers in WWII, including Comanche, Seminole, and Meskwaki.
While all the code talkers served important roles, the Navajo Code Talkers were singled out for special recognition.
Why? Because their contribution may very well have made the difference in how the war played out. According to 5th Marine Division signal officer Howard Connor, “were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.”
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this official holiday.
Celebrating National Navajo Code Talkers Day
Learn more about the Navajo Code Talkers:
- The Navajo Code Talkers website has interviews with code talkers, Navajo history, and more.
- HistoryNet’s World War II: Navajo Code Talkers describes how the program came about.
You might also be interested in one of these books about the Code Talkers:
- Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII, by Chester Nez – Mr. Nez was the last surviving member of the original Navajo Code Talkers, and he died on June 4, 2014.
- The Navajo Code Talkers (25th Anniversary Edition), by Doris A. Paul
- Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers, by Kenji Kawano – A photographic portrayal of the code talkers.
Watch this short (20 min) film; it’s a series of interviews with a real code talker, Peter MacDonald.
You can also find this interview and many more on the Navajo Code Talkers website.
Will you take a moment or two on August 14 to remember the bravery and skill of the code talkers?
[…] Navajo Code Talkers Day: This day honors the Navajo Marines who helped the Allies win the war … simply by speaking in their own language. Except their contributions to the war weren’t simple at all. They were crucial. Celebrate this day by learning more about them & listening to them tell their stories in their own words. […]