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Navajo Code Talkers Monument

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Communication is essential during any war and World War II was no different. From battalion to battalion or ship to ship – everyone must stay in contact to know when and where to attack or when to fall back. If the enemy were to hear these tactical conversations, not only would the element of surprise be lost, but the enemy could also reposition and get the upper hand. Codes (encryptions) were essential to protect these conversations.

Unfortunately, though codes were often used, they were also frequently broken. In 1942, a man named Philip Johnston thought of a code he thought unbreakable by the enemy. A code based on the Navajo language.

The initial code consisted of translations for 211 English words most frequently used in military conversations. Included in the list were terms for officers, terms for airplanes, terms for months, and an extensive general vocabulary. Also included were Navajo equivalents for the English alphabet so that the code talkers could spell out names or specific places.

On the battlefield, the code was never written down, it was always spoken. In training, they had been repeatedly drilled with all 411 terms. The Navajo code talkers had to be able to send and receive the code as fast as possible. There was no time for hesitation. Trained and now fluent in the code, the Navajo code talkers were ready for battle.
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The Navajo Code Talkers played a large role in the allied success in the Pacific. From 1942 until 1945, Navajo code talkers participated in numerous battles in the Pacific, including Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Peleliu, and Tarawa. They not only worked in communications but also as regular soldiers, facing the same horrors of war as other soldiers.


Huddled over their radio sets in bobbing assault barges, in foxholes on the beach, in slit trenches, deep in the jungle, the Navajo Marines transmitted and received messages, orders, vital information. The Japanese ground their teeth and committed hari-kari.*

The Navajo code talkers played a large role in the Allied success in the Pacific. The Navajos had created a code the enemy was unable to decipher.

Bibliography
Bixler, Margaret T. Winds of Freedom: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II. Darien, CT: Two Bytes Publishing Company, 1992.

Kawano, Kenji. Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Publishing Company, 1990.

Paul, Doris A. The Navajo Code Talkers. Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Co., 1973.

*Excerpt from the September 18, 1945 issues of the San Diego Union as quoted in Doris A. Paul, The Navajo Code Talkers (Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Co., 1973) 99.
Picture
1. Bell Tower
2. Visitor / Event Center
3. Courtyard
4. Colonial War Kiosk
5. Territorial War Kiosk
6. World War I Kiosk
7. Buffalo Soldier Monument
8. Pearl Harbor Survivors Monument
9. World War II Kiosk & Monument
10. 8th Air Force Monument
11. Merchant Marines Monument
12. U.S. Submarine Veterans Monument
13. Welcome Home Memorial
14. U.S. Navy Veterans Monument
15. Korean War Monument & Kiosk
16. Vietnam War Monument & Kiosk
17. Expeditionary Missions Kiosk
18. Gulf War Kiosk
19. War On Terror Kiosk
20. The Call
21. The Preparation
22. The Battle
23. The Homecoming
24. The Conversation
25. The Word From Home
26. The Fallen Friend
27. Parade Ground
28. Amphitheater
29. Paratrooper Monument
30. Combat Infantry Badge Monument
31. Boulevard Of Flags & Blue Star Memorial
32. American Ex-Prisoner Of War Monument
33. Medal Of Honor Plaza
34. Purple Heart Monument
35. Holes In Our Hearts
36. American Veterans For Equal Rights
37. Tuskegee Airmen Monument
​38. Gold Star Mothers Monument
39. Navajo Code Talkers Monument
​40. Combined Action Program Monument
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© 2023 New Mexico Veterans Memorial. Some photos courtesy of Paul Hyso.      Website design by Amy Allen Designs

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  • HOME
  • VISIT
    • MEMORIAL PARK >
      • THE MEMORIAL >
        • The Call
        • The Preparation
        • The Battle
        • The Conversation
        • The Word From Home
        • The Fallen Friend
        • The Homecoming
      • KIOSKS >
        • Colonial War Kiosk
        • Expeditionary Missions Kiosk
        • Gulf War Kiosk
        • Territorial War Kiosk
        • War On Terror Kiosk
        • World War I Kiosk
        • World War II Kiosk & Monument
      • MEMORIALS >
        • American Ex-Prisoner Of War Memorial
        • Blue Star Memorial
        • Hole In Our Hearts Memorial
        • U.S. Navy Veterans Memorial
        • Welcome Home Memorial
      • MONUMENTS >
        • American Veterans For Equal Rights
        • Buffalo Soldier Monument
        • Combined Action Program Monument
        • Combat Infantry Badge Monument
        • 8th Air Force Monument
        • Gold Star Mothers Monument
        • Korean War Monument & Kiosk
        • Merchant Marines Monument
        • Navajo Code Talkers Monument
        • Paratrooper Monument
        • Pearl Harbor Survivors Monument
        • Purple Heart Monument
        • Tuskegee Airmen Monument
        • U.S. Submarine Veterans Monument
        • Vietnam War Monument & Kiosk
      • VENUES >
        • Amphitheater
        • Bell Tower
        • Boulevard Of Flags
        • Courtyard
        • Medal Of Honor Plaza
        • Parade Ground
        • Visitor / Event Center
    • MUSEUM >
      • Medal Of Honor Recipients
      • Submarine Periscope
      • Stained Glass Art
      • New Mexico Artist's Sculpture
      • Vietnam Veterans of NM Memorial
      • Past Presentations
    • VISITOR'S CENTER
    • FOUNDATION OFFICE & LIBRARY
  • MEMORIAL GIFTS
  • FACILITY RENTAL
  • EVENTS CALENDAR
  • CONTACT
    • DONATE
    • MEMBERSHIP
    • EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS & TOURS
    • BOARD OF DIRECTORS >
      • President
      • Admin Comm Chair
      • Treasurer
      • Legal Counselor / Advisor
      • Membership / Secretary
      • Education Chair
      • Communications Chair
      • Media Chair
      • Newsletter / Public Affairs
      • Business Development
      • Military Operations
      • Awards / Recognition
      • Museum Curator
      • Librarian
    • LINKS
    • PRIVACY POLICY