Video: WWII Reunion: Navajo Code Talkers
A two-part reunion of three Navajo Code Talker veterans, who discuss their experiences of World War II.
In World War II, rival nations faced an increasing problem of security. Fast, global communication was now possible, but it was also much easier for enemies to intercept important messages. Nations encrypted their messages, often behind complex cyphers, but even these could be broken given time. Seeking a better solution, the United States military looked to Native American languages and created the Code Talker program.
Code talking first began in World War I, with the help of Cherokee and Choctaw soldiers in France. Native American languages proved to be an ideal code because of their complexity and obscurity. The Navajo language, for example, is notoriously difficult for outsiders to master, and at the time there was almost no written documentation for it. By World War II, many of these languages were in danger of extinction and actively suppressed in children at boarding schools. Because of all these factors, bilingual speakers could trade information safely before translating it for military use. And it worked; the Navajo Code remained unbroken through the war.
Not all Code Talkers were members of the Navajo Nation; people from other tribal nations like the Comanche and Hopi encrypted messages as well. In addition, it’s important to note that this service was not always voluntary. In some cases, young men were drafted from their communities to serve. All in all, about 500 people ended up serving as Code Talkers for the United States in World War II. Their skills and dedication saved many lives, and they helped fuel a revival of indigenous American language speakers and study.
These fascinating videos from the Library of Congress bring together three former Navajo Code Talkers to discuss their stories from World War II; they are Sam Billison, Keith Little, and Sam Smith.
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