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Navajo code talkers send a message during the war.
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A Secret Code
This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in the November 27, 2017, issue of Scholastic News Edition 3.
Have you ever tried using a secret code to communicate with friends? Many years ago, American soldiers used a very famous secret code. It was developed for the U.S. military by members of the Navajo (NAH-vuh-hoh), a Native American tribe. Historians say the code—and the Navajo who created it—helped the U.S. win World War II.
Have you ever used a secret code to communicate with friends? Many years ago, American soldiers used a very famous secret code. It was created for the U.S. military by members of the Navajo (NAH-vuh-hoh), a Native American tribe. It helped the U.S. win World War II.
America at War
The U.S. entered World War II in 1941, after Japan bombed a U.S. Navy base in Hawaii. The U.S. joined allies like Great Britain in a fight to stop Japan, Germany, and Italy from taking over other nations.
During the war, U.S. troops talked to one another over radios. They used codes to share details, like where they were going or where they had seen the enemy. But there was a problem. Enemy troops could sometimes hear them on their own radios. They kept cracking the codes.
“They would know your plans,” explains historian Herman Viola.
The U.S. entered World War II in 1941, after Japan bombed a U.S. Navy base in Hawaii. The U.S. joined allies like Great Britain. They fought to stop Japan, Germany, and Italy from taking over other nations.
U.S. troops talked to one another over radios. They used codes to share details, like where they were going. But there was a problem. Enemy troops could sometimes hear them on their own radios. They kept cracking the codes.
Creating the Code
A radio from the war
In 1942, a group of 29 Navajo in the U.S. Marines solved the problem. They created a new secret code based on their native language—and became known as code talkers. Very few non-Navajos understood the language. That made the Navajo code tough to crack. The code talkers memorized the code before going into battle.
During the war, about 400 Navajo code talkers used the code to communicate battle plans. Navajo words stood for military items like planes or ships. For example, the Navajo word for a hummingbird was used to describe a fighter plane. Navajo words also stood for letters of the alphabet so messages could be spelled out.
In 1942, a group of 29 Navajo in the U.S. Marines solved the problem. They created a new code based on their native language. Very few non-Navajos understood the language. That made the Navajo code tough to crack. The men became known as code talkers. They memorized all the code words before going into battle.
During the war, about 400 Navajo code talkers used the code to communicate battle plans. Navajo words stood for military items like planes or ships. For example, the Navajo word for a hummingbird was used to describe a fighter plane. Navajo words also stood for letters of the alphabet. That let code talkers spell out messages.
A Nation’s Heroes
The Navajo code worked. America’s enemies never figured it out. In 1945, the U.S. and its allies won the war. “The Navajo code talkers were a key to our success,” Viola says.
Today, a special memorial sits in Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital. It will honor Native Americans who have served in the military, including the code talkers. It will be a way to say “thanks”—loud and clear for all to hear!
1. Why did the U.S. enter World War II?
2. In the section “America at War,” what does “cracking the codes” mean? What sentence helps explain the meaning?
3. Why was the Navajo code so successful? Cite text evidence.