Navajo War Heroes That Defeated Japanese Codebreakers Are Honored in This Arizona Monument

The Navajo Code Talkers Monument

Window Rock’s most sacred spot holds the names of warriors who fought with words, not guns. The Navajo Code Talkers Monument shows how native language beat Japan’s best code breakers and helped win the Pacific war.

Here’s the story of these Native American war heroes.

Helping Win The Pacific War

The Navajo Code Talkers Monument honors the Native American Marines who built an unbreakable code that helped America win World War II.

About 400 Navajo Marines served as code talkers during the war. The first 29 recruits created the core code in May 1942 at Camp Pendleton.

Japanese intelligence never broke their encrypted messages.

These Marines fought in every major Pacific battle from 1942 to 1945, including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Iwo Jima.

Their critical work stayed secret until 1968, leaving these heroes unrecognized for decades.

A Missionary’s Son’s Brilliant Idea

Philip Johnston, who grew up on the Navajo reservation, sparked the code talker program in early 1942.

Johnston showed Marine officers how Navajo speakers could send and decode a message in 20 seconds instead of the 30 minutes needed by machines.

The Marines immediately recognized this advantage.

By May, the first 29 Navajo recruits arrived at Camp Pendleton.

Known as “The First Twenty-Nine,” these men ranged from 15-year-old William Dean Yazzie to 35-year-old Carl Gorman and built the code that stumped Japanese intelligence.

Creating Words For Modern War

The Navajo code worked through two clever systems that made it impossible to crack.

For spelling, they used Navajo words to represent English letters – “wol-la-chee” (ant) meant “A.”

For military terms, they created descriptive words – “besh-lo” (iron fish) meant submarine, “dah-he-tih-hi” (hummingbird) meant fighter plane.

Their dictionary grew from 211 to 411 terms, all memorized rather than written down.

A message that took machines 30 minutes to process took these Marines mere seconds, even under enemy fire.

Radio Men Under Enemy Fire

These Marines faced constant danger while operating their equipment in combat zones.

After completing regular boot camp, they trained in specialized communications school, memorizing the entire code dictionary.

To qualify, they had to decode three-line messages in under 20 seconds.

In battle, they worked in pairs – one on the radio, one translating.

Japanese snipers targeted radiomen, forcing code talkers to move constantly during transmissions to avoid becoming easy targets.

Six Men Who Saved Iwo Jima

During the bloody fight for Iwo Jima in February 1945, Navajo Code Talkers proved absolutely vital.

Major Howard Connor, the 5th Marine Division’s communications officer, had just six Navajo Marines working non-stop for the first two days.

These men sent and received over 800 perfect messages, coordinating the complex beach assault.

Connor later said, “Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima” – a statement now carved into monuments honoring these heroes.

Japan’s Top Cryptographers Hit a Wall

Japanese intelligence experts who cracked other American codes never solved the Navajo system.

The Navajo language, with its unique sounds and structure, completely baffled foreign ears.

Before the war, fewer than 30 non-Navajos worldwide understood it.

Japanese intelligence chief Lieutenant General Seizo Arisue admitted after the war that while they broke Army and Air Corps codes, the Navajo messages remained impenetrable.

Even captured Navajo soldiers from other units couldn’t understand the specialized code.

Secret Warriors Return Home Silent

When peace came in 1945, these heroes couldn’t tell anyone about their remarkable work.

The Marines classified the code, thinking they might need it in future wars.

Code talkers received strict orders to keep silent, even with their families.

They returned to reservation life without sharing their achievements.

This secrecy lasted 23 years until 1968, when the program was finally declassified.

By then, many had died without recognition for their world-changing contribution.

Gold Medals Decades Too Late

Official thanks for these war heroes came only after years of shameful neglect.

In 1982, President Reagan declared August 14 “National Navajo Code Talkers Day” after a TV program sparked 17,000 letters from supportive Americans.

On July 26, 2001, President Bush finally presented Congressional Gold Medals to survivors of the original 29 code talkers.

In November, families of other code talkers received silver medals at Window Rock – recognition that came too late for many.

Arizona’s Tributes To Secret Heroes

The Window Rock monument stands alongside other memorials across the Southwest. Phoenix has two important monuments.

The first, from 1989 at Phoenix Plaza, shows a traditional Navajo figure with a flute. Native American artist Doug Hyde created this 18-foot bronze with text in both Diné and English.

The second Phoenix monument at Wesley Bolin Plaza was dedicated February 28, 2008.

This 16-foot bronze cost $300,000 and shows a Marine with his field radio in combat position.

Sacred Space Beneath Desert Sky

The Window Rock monument creates a powerful place to reflect on sacrifice and heritage.

Traditional elements include a circular path marking the four directions – white (East), blue (South), yellow (West), and black (North).

Sixteen steel pillars list names of Navajo veterans, honoring service beyond just the code talkers.

A sandstone fountain provides a quiet healing sanctuary.

Visiting the Navajo Code Talkers Monument

The monument sits in Window Rock, Arizona, the Navajo Nation capital, 25 miles northwest of Gallup.

Find it easily at the corner of Highway 264 and Indian Route 12, next to the tribal government buildings.

Veterans Memorial Park welcomes visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free entry.

The nearby Navajo Nation Museum on Highway 264 offers more exhibits about code talkers and Navajo culture.

August 14 is National Navajo Code Talkers Day, when special ceremonies often take place here.

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