Last of the Code Talkers
Wed, 08/06/2014 - 17:19
News Staff
By Henry Howard
Editor’s note: The American Legion interviewed Chester Nez, last of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers, 10 days before he died. As the Pacific theater of World War II darkened, the United States searched for ways to keep its military messages secret. The Japanese had broken every code. In so doing, they were exacting heavy damage in both troop numbers and morale. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, civilizian Philip Johnston proposed using the little-known Navajo language to transmit confidential communications. Marine Corps officers were skeptical but gave the goahead to test the concept, a decision that proved instrumental for victory in the Pacific.
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