Code Talkers remembered during American Indian Heritage Month

November is National American Indian Heritage Month, and the Marine Corps is formally celebrating Native American contributions to the Corps.

According to Marine Administrative Message 506/05, the Marine Corps benefits greatly from ethnic diversity by drawing individuals from all walks of life and “molding them into cohesive, combat-ready units of Marines dedicated to our core values and the defense of our nation.”

It also states that an exceptionally large percentage of all Native Americans have served in the U.S. military.

During World War II, hundreds of Navajo Indians served in the Corps – the majority as “Code Talkers.” They used their unique language to transmit messages during combat, proving essential in the Allied victory.

In May 1942, a few months into the war, 29 Navajo men attended Marine Corps boot camp at Camp Elliot in San Diego. Following recruit training, the 29 Marines, fluent in Navajo and English, went to Camp Pendleton, Calif., where they learned military message writing, communication measures, radio maintenance, wire laying and combat tactics.

The main objective of the training at Camp Pendleton was to create the Navajo Code. They developed the Navajo Code Talker’s Dictionary, composed of 200 code equivalents for common military terms. Each code had to logically and creatively connect to the military term, yet be short enough to memorize and possess a distinct sound that could be heard even through poor radio reception.

During simulated battle situations to test the Navajo Code, not one cryptologist could crack it.

As the war continued, more Navajos trained to become Code Talkers, and the Code Talker Dictionary increased by an additional 200 phrases and more than 400 words. Once a Navajo Marine memorized the code and completed training, he was immediately deployed to the Pacific theater.

In addition to regular Marine duties, the Code Talkers transmitted information about tactics, troop movement, orders and any other vital communications over radios and telephones.

The Navajo Code Talkers assisted in every Marine-led assault during World War II.

During combat at Iwo Jima, six Code Talkers worked for more than two days straight, receiving and transmitting more than 800 messages without a single error.

“Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima,” declared Maj. Howard Connor, 5th Marine Division signal officer, after the battle of Iwo Jima.

The Code Talkers could transmit and decode a message in 20 seconds that would take a machine 30 minutes to figure out. Because Navajo translators were only on the Allies’ side, the Japanese had no way to decipher it.

By the end of the war, more than 500 Navajo Indians served in the Marine Corps, about 400 as Code Talkers.

Today’s Native American Marines continue the proud tradition of service with the same honor, courage and commitment of their ancestors who served before them.