What important military contribution did Navajo Code Talkers make during World war ll?
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Play Narration In
the military and non-Indian world, recognition for the Code Talkers was slow to develop. They were not acknowledged for many years despite their sacrifices and important roles in winning the war. Explore This Chapter Chapter 7 Resources
Play Narration Many Code Talkers earned medals, such as Purple Hearts, Silver Stars, Good Conduct Medals, and Combat Infantry Badges, during and after the war. But this was recognition that many servicemen and servicewomen received, depending on where they were and what they did in the war. Special recognition for Code Talking would not come for more than forty years. Hear an excerpt of the Navajo Veterans’ Honor Song. The song honors Code Talkers and all Navajo veterans of U.S. military service. Play Music Clip Play Narration One reason that Navajo Code Talkers were not recognized until much later is because the program was secret and classified by the military. The Navajo were ordered to keep their wartime jobs secret. It wasn’t until 1968 that the Navajo Code Talkers program was declassified by the military. The military did not order the Comanche Code Talkers to keep silent about their jobs in the war. However, mostly due to security concerns, the program was not discussed outside the Comanche community. Listen to the quote
Play Narration After the Navajo program was declassified, people started to realize the importance of the Code Talkers’ achievements, and recognition finally began to arrive. In 1989, the French government awarded the Comanche Code Talkers the Chevalier of the National Order of Merit, a very high honor. Finally, in 2000, the United States Congress passed legislation to honor the Navajo Code Talkers and provided them with special gold and silver Congressional Medals. The gold medals were for the original twenty-nine Navajos that developed the code, and the silver medals for those that served later in the program. A statement in the Navajo language on the back of the medals translates to: “With the Navajo language they defeated the enemy.” Congress passed the Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008 to officially recognize all American Indians who served as Code Talkers during World Wars I and II. Beyond Washington, DC, tribal governments, some state and local governments, and a variety of organizations have acknowledged the importance of the Code Talkers. Listen to the quote
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Carl Gorman received much recognition during his life—for his service as a Code Talker and for his work as a painter, teacher,
and someone who strived for many years to preserve the traditional Navajo culture and history. After having fought in a war, he worked hard to build understanding between different peoples. Many people respected him for this quality. For all of his accomplishments, Mr. Gorman was honored many times with speeches, awards, plaques, and letters of recognition. In 1990, he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of New Mexico for his “commitment to his people and his
contributions to the culture of the Southwest.” Carl Gorman passed away in 1998, before the Navajos were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, but his wife, Mary, and other family members accepted the award on his behalf in 2001. Play Music Clip Listen to an excerpt of the Navajo Code Talkers song. It is a special song that honors Navajo Code Talkers. Eventually, Charles Chibitty and the other Comanche Code Talkers were recognized around the world for their contributions. Mr. Chibitty was honored at the Pentagon on three occasions. He was awarded special recognition from the Secretary of Defense and the governor of Oklahoma. He received the Knowlton Award, a special honor from the Military Intelligence Association. He was invited to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers in a ceremony at Arlington Cemetery. He was invited to speak at countless gatherings from small community centers to large national events. When he spoke, he always mentioned his fellow Comanche Code Talkers. He wished that they had received the same awards and recognition that he did, but by the time the recognition for Comanche Code Talkers began, many of them had already passed away. Charles Chibitty was the last surviving Comanche Code Talker at the time of his death in 2005. It was written about him that: “Charlie’s life has no foreshadowing or ending. As long as wind blows, his life and legacy will continue to twist and turn along courses only wild horses know.” (“YL-37 Flies Again: Charles Joyce Chibitty,” in YL-37 Group Foundation Inc., 2005)
Hear Charles Chibitty sing and talk about the Comanche Code Talker Song. Listen to the quote Play Narration The Code Talkers’ achievements are many. They overcame the difficulties imposed on Native peoples. They served their families, their communities, and their country by helping to win two major wars of the twentieth century. They demonstrated the importance of their tribal languages to the world and helped preserve them for the future. They met the challenges of life and achieved many things after their military service. They are respected and admired by younger generations of American Indian people. For all of these accomplishments, the National Museum of the American Indian thanks and honors the Code Talkers, Native warriors of the twentieth century. The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, is the home of the National Native American Veterans Memorial. The memorial honors all Native Americans, including Code Talkers, who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
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Listen to the quote
Listen to the quote
7.7 Reflection and Discussion QuestionsHow did the Code Talkers make an impact during World War II? What does it mean to “honor” someone? What kinds of positive effects do you think the Code Talkers’ achievements might have had on their own American Indian communities? What impact did the Navajo code talkers have?Their encrypted code, which was never cracked by the enemy, helped the United States win its way across the Pacific front from 1942 to 1945. Historians argue that the Navajo Code Talkers helped expedite the end of the war and, undoubtedly, saved thousands of lives.
Why were communication codes of the Navajo used by the military during World War II?Code talkers transmitted messages over military telephone or radio communications nets using formally or informally developed codes built upon their native languages. The code talkers improved the speed of encryption and decryption of communications in front line operations during World War II.
How did the Native American code talkers help the military?American Indian Code Talkers were communications specialists. Their job was to send coded messages about troop movements, enemy positions, and other critical information on the battlefield. Some Code Talkers translated messages into their Native languages and relayed them to another tribal member.
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