Introduction
Navajo is an unwritten language of extreme complexity with its syntax, tonal qualities and dialects very complicated that makes it impossible for anyone without any formal training and exposure unable to make head or tail of what is being communicated. Navajo is only spoken in Southwest America and does not have any alphabet or symbols. Accordingly at the onset of the World War II, various approximations indicate that not more than 30 non-Navajos, none of them Japanese, could understand the language. (Meadows 26).
Navajo talkers therefore, were those individuals, mostly the Native Americans, who were working for the US Marine in different capacities. They had undergone an intense training to enable them communicate effectively using the coded language. The language could not be understood by those perceived as enemies of the US during the Second World War, especially the Japanese who were known skilled code breakers. The coded language could be used to relay information that to strangers was ambiguous, but well understood by the concerned parties.
Services Offered By the Navajo Code Talkers
The Navajo Code system was used between the years 1942 to 1945 as a military requirement on security measures. The Talker’s primary job was to co-ordinate all the sectors and divisions of the War troop by relaying the required information tactfully on the location, movements, orders and any other vital battlefield information via telegraphs and radios in their unique native dialect that could not be understood by their opponents.
The greatest advantage of the Navajo language was reported to be its speed; information that could take the then machines 30 minutes to un-code, a Navajo would do it in 20 seconds (William C. 30).The procedure to go about the Navajo language is as follows: Since Navajo has neither symbols nor alphabets, the nature of the language is just a series of unrelated Navajo words. Each of these words are then to be translated by the code breaker into its English equivalent and by using only the first letter of the English equivalent word to spell an English word.. For example; if we have “the (apple) it would be “be-la-sana”, “wol-la-chee” (ant), and “tse-nill” (axe) all stood for the letter “a.” Another way to say the word “Navy” in Navajo code would then be “tsah (needle) wol-la-chee (ant) ah-keh-di-glini (victor) tsah-ah-dzoh (yucca)” (Department of the Navy).
Successes of the Navajo Code Talkers in Aiding US in World War II
The statement “Marines would have never won the battle…” (Bixler 41) sets us off on this sub topic. It is a valid and a proven assumption that were it not for the Navajo coded language, the World Wars could have brought negative results to the US. After a series of attempt-which eventually bore fruits to unlock the codes in the language used by the US in the World War I, there was need for an unbreakable code, and the introduction of the Navajo Code offered that solution. It was a great success to the US, thanks to the Navajo Code Talkers.
Attempts by Adolph Hitler to conquer the world and the US, were thwarted just because of the Navajo language introduction in the US marine military operations. Apart from Navajo, other languages that were used included Cherokee, Choctaw, Comanche, Meskwaki and Basque (Ronin 56). On a more personal note I could say that were it not for the help brought by Philip Johnston through the Navajo dialect language introduction to the Marines War Operations, the World War II would have been won by the Japanese and their allies (Mc Coy 69).
How the Navajo Code Talkers Were Rewarded For Their Efforts
Just like in many other Nations where war veterans are forgotten, the Navajo’s case was not different. They had been ignored until 1968 during the declassification of the operation, and from then onwards the Navajo Code Talkers have gained recognition from the public as well as the US government.
They have continuously been recognized for their good deeds for country in the War. The rewards among which included being given Certificates of Recognition by the U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1982. Also on 21st December 2000, a bill was passed by the U.S. Congress (Public Law 106-554, 114 Statute 2763), which was then signed by the then US President Bill Clinton, this led to the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to twenty-nine World War II Navajo code talkers.
It also reports that Thirty-five members of the Navajo Code Talkers association in 1992 had an opportunity to attend an exhibit that was dedicated to Navajo Code Talkers. The exhibit was held at the Pentagon in Washington DC. The exhibits idea is to help the current generation as well as those that were not in the war to understand what the Navajo Code Talkers was all about It involves the display of photographs of the Navajo Code talkers taken during the World War, the weapons and other communication gadgets used as well as an explanation of how the code worked.
Conclusion
A summary of this research on the Navajo Code Talkers can be therefore done by drawing a conclusion that the assignment was a success. It clearly gives out what the Navajo Code Talkers were, the role they played in the World War to help the US win the battle and how they were rewarded for their efforts. In addition, we find out that the language is not about to fade away as there has been even a compilation of the Navajo Dictionary, and some people have even gone as far as translating some great war contents from English to Navajo, For example, a former Navajo Instructor Jimmy King who translated a Marine Hymn to Navajo; The Hymn goes like “We have conquered our enemies all over the World…” this, in Navajo would be “Nin hokeh bi-keh a-na-ih -la, Ta-al-tso- go…” (Hafford 35).
Works Cited
Bixler, Margaret T.: Winds of Freedom: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II. Darien, CT: Two Bytes Pub. Co., 1992.45-60.
Hafford, William E. “The Navajo Code Talkers.” Arizona Highways 65, no.2 (1989): 36-45.
McCoy, Ron. “Navajo Code Talkers of World War II: Indian Marines Befuddled the Enemy.” American West 18, no.6 (1981): 67-73, 75.
Meadows, William C. The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2002. 23-36.
Department of the Navy: The code that was never broken: 2008. Web.