| During World War II, the
United States Marine Corps baffled the Japanese code breakers.
Between 375 and 420 Navajo code talkers allowed secure
communications using the Navajo language - all in much less time than traditional methods.
Windtalkers
Navajo code talkers took part in every
assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to
1945, serving in all six Marine divisions, Marine Raider
battalions and Marine parachute units. They transmitted messages
by telephone and radio in their native language -- a code that the
Japanese never broke.
At Iwo Jima, Major Howard Connor, 5th
Marine Division signal officer, said, "Were it not for the
Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima."
Major Connor
had six Navajo code talkers working around the clock during the
first two days of the battle. Those six sent and received over 800
messages, all without error.
When Marines raised the flag on Mount Suribachi, the Code Talkers relayed the message in the Navajo code:
"Sheep-Uncle-Ram-Ice-Bear-Ant-
Cat-Horse-Itch."
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