Douma 1

Avery Douma

Ms. Miller

Writing Class

27 March 2023

Navajo Code Talkers

To start it all off on December 7, 1941, Japan destroyed the island of Pearl Harbor in

Hawaii, leading the Americans into World War II. After they joined in the fighting a group called

the Navajo code talkers asked if they could be a fighting defense used during the war. The United

States agreed and without the Navajo code talkers, the United States never would have won.

Read on to find out how the Navajo code talkers were used in the war (Brown).

It all started in 1942 when a man by the name of Philip Johnston called the Marines and

requested for the Navajo code talkers to be used in the war and the United States said yes. Philip

Jonhston came up with the code in 1942 because he was living on the reservations in Camp

Pendleton (Brown). So, the first thing the Marines did was give the Navajo military terms

like Battleship and Dive Bomber. The next thing they did was give them an English

nickname for the military terms, like Whale and Chicken Hawk. Then finally the Navajo

translated the terms into their native language. Like Lo-Tso and Gini, all of these steps and

terms made the code unbreakable for the Japanese. (“Navajo Code Talkers”) Joseph

Bruchac then said. (“ Bruchac Code talker quotes) “Why did we make up nicknames?

Maybe they were easier to remember. Maybe, too, they just made frightening things

more familiar, even a little funny in the midst of the seriousness of war”.
 Douma 2

To begin, after a couple months of training the Navajo code talkers went into their first

war. Their first-ever war was the battle of Guadalcanal. During the battle, the Navajo Code

Talkers sent out four-line messages in up to 20 seconds. It would usually take almost 30 minutes

when Americans did it. Although the messages were sent back and forth fast, were they

successful? Well, it turns out the Navajo Code Talkers were successful, and they helped the

Americans win. After the battle ended in 1943, the Navajo started training others and got ready

for the next battle. Then, by 1945, the Navajo code talkers were looking good and went into

another battle where they would invade Iwo Jima. This battle was going to be directed

completely by the Navajo Code talkers. The Navajo code talkers made the code much faster than

usual. It only took 20 seconds for the code to be sent out instead of usually taking 30 minutes

when using the English language. After a couple of months and many people dead, Japan then

surrendered ending the war and giving the United States victory. If it weren’t for the Navajo, the

United States never would have won the battle of Iwa Jima and Guadalcanal (Brown).

According to Signal Officer Major Howard Connor, “ If not for the Navajo Code Talkers the

Marines would have never won the war” (Brown 19).

In conclusion, without the Navajo Code talkers America might not be a free country

today. Without the Navajo and their amazing plan of communication, Japan could have taken

over the world and today we might not have the rights and freedom that we do. In 2000, George

W Bush recognized the Navajo Code talkers at the White House for their incredible work during

WWII. During the recognition Peter McDonald, a 90-year-old code talker stated. “ What we did,

he said, truly represents who we are as Americans” (Brown).

Douma 3
Douma 4