Ep 191: Ancient Voices in Modern Warfare - Navajo Code Talkers

This is the incredible story of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II! We'll talk a little about the history of the Navajo and how the United States really wanted them to forget their heritage, and especially their language. Navajo children were sent to boarding schools and forced to learn English, so much so that they were punished if they spoke any of their native language at school. Of course, they still spoke Navajo (an extremely complex language that you have to learn from birth or you have no chance) at home.  

Forward to WWII, the US needed a truly unbreakable code for its invasion of Japan. 29 Navajo men were recruited into the Marines to create the Navajo Code. They used their words (like potato for grenade), plus a Navajo word for every letter of the English alphabet—creating a 400+ word code that truly was never once cracked!

Learn more with us! 

Sources:

Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two - Joseph Bruchac - https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/code-talker-a-novel-about-the-navajo-marines-of-world-war-two_joseph-bruchac/246548/item/3819967/? 

Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII - Chester Nez with Judith Schiess Avila - https://www.amazon.com/Code-Talker-Memoir-Original-Talkers/dp/0425247856/

Who Were the Navajo Code Talkers? - James Buckley, Jr, - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/537742/who-were-the-navajo-code-talkers-by-james-buckley-jr-illustrated-by-gregory-copeland/

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