Native American Code Talkers

During World War I and World War II, hundreds of American Indians joined the United States armed forces and used words from their traditional tribal languages as weapons. Some tribes were recruited by the United States military to develop secret battle communications using their languages. Other Native people found one another during the war and informally used their languages to subvert the enemy. “Code Talkers,” as they came to be known after World War II, are twentieth-century American Indian warriors and heroes who significantly aided the victories of the United States and its allies.

American Indian nations have always fought to defend themselves. Their history includes numerous wars with enemies, such as the United States. Leading up to the world wars, the U.S. government had also spent years trying to erase American Indian cultures and ways of life, including the use of native languages.

Beginning in the late nineteenth century, many American Indian families were forced to send their children to boarding schools, where they were forbidden to speak their Native languages. Many Code Talkers attended boarding schools and as adults found it puzzling that the same government that had tried to take away their languages in schools later gave them a critical role speaking their languages in military service.

To develop their Type One Code, the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers first came up with English words for each letter of the English alphabet. Since they had to memorize all the words, they used things that were familiar to them, such as kinds of animals. Then, they translated those words into Navajo.

As the war progressed, more than 400 Navajos were eventually recruited as Code Talkers.

Ultimately, there were Code Talkers from at least 16 tribes who served in the Army, the Marines, and the Navy.* Some Code Talkers enlisted, others were drafted

Their training was intense. Following basic training, the Code Talkers completed extensive training in communications and memorizing the code.

One such Code Talker was Carl Gorman, who joined the United States Marine Corps in 1942 when he learned they were recruiting Navajos. He went through all of the difficult training and was one of the original 29 Navajos who were given the secret mission of developing the Navajo code.

Mr. Gorman served in four important Pacific battles: Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Tinian, and Saipan. In 1942, he was stricken by Malaria, a severe tropical disease, yet he continued to fight. In 1944, Mr. Gorman was evacuated from Saipan suffering both from the effects of Malaria and post-traumatic stress. He had to be hospitalized and took many months to recover.

After World War II, most American Indian Code Talkers returned to communities that were having difficult economic times. Racism toward American Indian people was common and even though they had served their country with distinction, American Indian veterans could not eat or drink in some establishments—or even vote in some national or state elections.

Partly due to the secrecy of the program, 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.

Recognition

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 29 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.

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 the 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 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 and Native Warriors of the twentieth century.