[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 106 (Thursday, July 26, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8274-S8276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NAVAJO CODE TALKERS' CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL
Mr. BYRD. Madam President, for those who toil in the clandestine
world of national security, where the dictates of secrecy cloak heroes
actions in vaults full of files marked with code words and warnings,
there are precious few opportunities to stand before bright lights and
listen to applause. Today, a group of men were honored who kept their
secret from 1942 until 1968, when their talents and contributions in
winning the war in the Pacific were finally declassified. Today was
their turn in the sun, as the President awarded the original 29 Navajo
Code Talkers the Congressional Gold Medal.
Now the world knows how these men gave the U.S. military a decisive
edge in communications during the war in the Pacific theater and
elsewhere. Their presence at Iwo Jima, at Guadalcanal, and throughout
the Pacific provided U.S. military units with secure communications and
the element of surprise that allowed U.S. forces to overwhelm dug-in
Japanese units and win some of the bloodiest battles in World War II.
The Navajo Code Talkers' unique contribution to the nation's security
can be counted in those victories and in the number of servicemen who
survived the war and returned home to their families.
The story behind the development of the Navajo Code Talkers is
fascinating. Every American knows the history behind December 7, 1941,
the ``day that will live in infamy,'' as Japanese forces launched a
surprise attack on U.S. military bases in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Almost
simultaneously, having assured themselves that the U.S. could not react
militarily, the Japanese attacked and overwhelmed other islands
throughout southeast Asia and the Pacific. U.S. losses were staggering,
and reaction was immediate--the U.S. declared war against Japan and the
other Axis powers within hours.
Declaring war and waging war, however, are two very different
animals. The Pacific theater of war presented U.S. military forces with
unique challenges. Distances were large, and the Japanese defenders
were able to ``dig in,'' creating bastions from which small numbers of
Japanese troops could hold off invading forces and inflict terrible
losses upon the military men of the United States. Synchronizing air,
land, and seaborne forces in coordinated attacks proved to be a major
challenge. And the Japanese held an early intelligence advantage.
An elite group of English-speaking Japanese soldiers would intercept
U.S. radio communications and then sabotage the message or issue false
commands that led American forces into ambushes. The U.S. responded by
creating ever more complex military codes, but his effort had its own
problems. At Guadalcanal, military leaders faced a two-and-a-half hour
delay in sending and decoding a single message. Something needed to be
done.
That something was first suggested by Philip Johnston, a World War I
veteran who was familiar with the use of Choctaw Indians as Code
Talkers during that war. Johnston, the son of a missionary who was
raised on a Navajo Indian reservation and who spoke Navajo fluently,
believed that the Navajo language was the ideal candidate for service
as a military code. Navajo is an unwritten language of great linguistic
complexity. It would be doubtful indeed to suppose that the Japanese
Army would possess any fluent Navajo speakers. Mr. Johnston contacted
the U.S. Marine Corps with his proposal in early 1942, and after a
demonstration of his concept, a group of twenty-nine Navajo speakers
was recruited to become Marine Corps radio operators.
Those first twenty-nine men, and the others that followed them and
who will be receiving a Congressional Silver Medal in a ceremony next
month, developed a code so successful that it became one of the war's
most closely held secrets. The first twenty-nine recruits developed the
original code vocabulary of some 200 terms. Then, in a novel way of
addressing other words outside that initial vocabulary, the group
developed an ingenious method of spelling out any other word using any
Navajo words that would, when translated into English, begin with the
initial letter that was desired. Thus, if a Code Talker wanted to spell
``day,'' for instance, they could use the Navajo word for ``dog'' or
``dig'' or ``door'' followed by any Navajo words that translated to a
word beginning with ``a'' and ``y.'' Thus any five radio operators
could pick a different combination of Navajo words that would, when
translated, spell ``day.'' ``Dog'' ``ant,'' and ``yellow'' or ``door,''
``apple,'' ``yawn'' would both give you the initials ``d,'' ``a,'' and
``y'' in the correct order. Combined with the unique linguistic and
tonal qualities of the Navajo language, such flexibility made the
Navajo Code bewildering to the Japanese yet speedy and flexible to use.
Military commanders credited the Code Talkers with saving the lives
of countless American soldiers and with providing a decisive edge in
such battles as those that took place in Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan,
Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Major Howard Connor, the 5th Marine Division
signal officer at Iwo Jima, had six Navajo Code Talkers working nonstop
during the first 48 hours of the battle for Iwo Jima. Those six men
sent and received more than 800 error-free messages during that period.
Major Connor stated that ``Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines
would never have taken Iwo Jima.'' The raising of the American flag at
Iwo Jima was captured on film--I can see it now--captured on film as
one of the war's most compelling images, one that was translated into
bronze at the Marine Corps memorial here in Washington, here in the
city.
Today the Department of Defense has an Undersecretary of Defense for
what is termed ``C4ISR'' which stands for Command, Control,
Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance. Billions of dollars are spent in an effort to keep
swift-moving combined military forces coordinated in an attack and
aware of the dangers around them. In World War II, such things were
more rudimentary. Communications were largely confined to open radio
waves, making U.S. forces vulnerable to exactly the kind of intercept
and sabotage practiced by Japanese forces. The Navajo Code Talkers,
like World War I's Choctaw Code Talkers, represented an innovative and
hugely successful answer to a problem that plagues military forces to
this day. It is not surprising that the Department of Defense wanted to
keep the Navajo Code Talkers a closely guarded military secret until
1968. What is laudable is that the Code Talkers kept their secret so
well, despite every temptation to brag and every disappointment in
having their priceless contribution remain hidden behind a Top Secret
stamp.
In receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, the Navajo Code Talkers
join a very short list of American heroes and luminaries that began
with General George Washington on March 25, 1776. Their service merits
this, the long-overdue thanks of a grateful nation and the award of the
Congressional Gold Medal. To each Navajo Code Talkers, I offer the
sincere thanks and deep appreciation of the United States Senate. My
thanks also go to Senator Jeff Bingaman for sponsoring the legislation
in the Senate authorizing the
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award of the Congressional Gold Medal to this gathering of heroes, the
Navajo Code Talkers. It should never be too late to recognize and
reward the heroism of those who risk much to preserve the freedom and
liberty that we all enjoy. It is all too common to heap the laurels on
the general, admirals, and other leaders, and to overlook the
invaluable contribution made by each soldier, sailor, airman, and, in
this case, each radio operator who put just as much on the line as did
those with more braid and brass on their collars. The Navajo Code
Talkers were an essential element in each victory, as much as the man
at the top who gave the command to attack.
I close on that thought with the words of John Jerome Rooney, who
wrote the following lines in his poem, ``The Men Behind the Guns.'' I
give you his first and last stanzas.
A cheer and salute for the Admiral, and here's to the Captain
bold,
And never forget the Commodore's debt when the deeds of might
are told!
They stand to the deck through the battle's wreck when the
great shells roar and screech--
And never they fear when the foe is near to practice what
they preach:
But off with your hat and three times three for Columbia's
true-blue sons,
The men below who batter the foe--the men behind the guns!
Oh, well they know how the cyclones blow that they loose from
their cloud of death,
And they know is heard the thunder-word their fierce ten-
incher saith!
The steel decks rock with the lightning shock, and shake with
the great recoil,
And the sea grows red with the blood of the dead and reaches
for his spoil--
But not till the foe has gone below or turns his prow and
runs,
Shall the voice of peace bring sweet release to the men
behind the guns!
Today, Mr. President, I tip my hat and offer three times three to the
Navajo Code Talkers.
Mr. CAMPBELL. Madam President earlier today I was honored to join
President Bush, four of the five surviving Navajo Code Talkers, their
families, and the families of all the Code Talkers in a ceremony in
which the President awarded the Code Talkers the Congressional Gold
Medal.
The ceremony also included other members of Congress, Indian tribal
leaders, and dignitaries from around the Nation.
For far too many Americans, bred on cynicism and hopelessness, these
men remind us what real American heroes are all about.
It is unfortunate that we could not have recognized these men and
their contributions sooner than this.
Think of this--just 77 years before World War II, the grandfathers of
these heroes were forced at gunpoint with 9,000 other Navajos from
their homeland and marched 300 miles through the burning desert. For
four long years the Navajo people were interned at the Bosque Redondo.
For these men and their comrades to rise above that injustice in
American history and put their lives on the line speaks of their
character and their patriotism.
Just as the Japanese were never able to break the Navajo Code, it is
also a mystery why it took so long for our Nation to recognize the
critical role the Code Talkers played in achieving victory in the
Pacific.
The answer may lie in the secrecy of their mission.
The Navajo Code Talkers took part in every major assault the U.S.
Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. It was their duty
to transmit messages in their native language, Dine Bizaad, a code the
Japanese were never able to decipher.
Mr. Philip Johnston, the son of a missionary to the Navajos and one
of the few non-Navajos who spoke the Navajo language fluently, was the
individual responsible for recognizing the potential of the Navajo
people and language and the contributions they could make to World War
II.
A World War I veteran who knew the value of secure communications,
Johnston was reared on the Navajo reservation, and recommended the
Navajo language be used for this purpose.
The Navajo language is complex because it has no alphabet or symbols
and fit the military's need for an ``undecipherable code''.
Johnston staged tests under simulated combat conditions with the
commanding general of the Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet.
The tests demonstrated that Navajos could encode, transmit, and
decode a three-line message in 20 seconds. After the simulation the
Navajo were recommended to the Commandant of the Marine Corps to serve
as Code Talkers. It was recommended that the Marines recruit 200
Navajos.
In May 1942, the first 29 of the 200 requested Navajo recruits
attended boot camp. During this time they developed and memorized a
dictionary and numerous words for military terms.
After the successful completion of boot camp, the Code Talkers were
sent to a Marine unit deployed in the pacific theater. At this duty
station it became the primary job of the Code Talkers to transmit
information on tactics, troop movements, orders, and other vital
battlefield communications over telephones and radios.
The Navajos were praised for their skill, speed, and accuracy in
communications throughout the war.
At Iwo Jima, Major Howard Connor, 5th Marine Division Signal officer,
declared, ``Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have
taken Iwo Jima.'' Connor had six Navajo Code Talkers who worked around
the clock during the first two days of the battle sending and receiving
over 800 messages--all without error.
The Japanese, who were skilled code breakers, were confused by the
Navajo language. The Japanese chief of intelligence, Lieutenant General
Seizo Arisue said that while they were at times able to decipher the
codes used by the other armed forces, they never were able to crack the
code used by the Marines and Navajos.
American Indians and their commitment to this Nation can be described
in one quote from David E. Patterson, of the 4th Marine Division,
``When I was inducted into the service, one of the commitments I made
was that I was willing to die for my country--the U.S., the Navajo
Nation, and my family. My [native] language was my weapon.''
I would like to thank the Navajo Code Talkers who served in World War
II for their dedication and bravery to our Nation.
They believed in what they fought for and were willing to sacrifice
their lives to create a communication system that was unbreakable.
Without these brave men and their knowledge of their language, the
success of our Nation's military efforts in the Pacific would not have
been possible.
I urge all Americans to thank these brave men for their uncommon
valor and dedication to a cause higher than themselves.
Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, I rise to formally pay tribute to the
Navajo Code Talkers, who today received the Congressional Gold Medal.
The award of the Congressional Gold Medal, one of our Nation's
highest honors, is a fitting tribute to the Navajo Code Talkers for
their relentless efforts, sacrifice and dedication during the decisive
battles for the Pacific in World War II. I am proud and honored to
witness our country's long overdue recognition of the Navajo Code
Talkers' place in history.
I salute my friend, Senator Bingaman, for leading the effort to bring
national attention to the crucial role the Navajo Code Talkers played
in the history of our country, and indeed, the world.
The Navajo Code Talkers began as an idea by Phillip Johnston, a
Marine Corps officer living in Los Angeles, CA, whose father was a
Protestant missionary on the Navajo reservation. He was aware that the
Marine Corps was deeply troubled over Japan's ability to break American
codes.
In late April of 1942, two recruiting officers were sent to the
Navajo reservation. In May, 29 Navajos were sworn in at Ft. Wingate,
NM, and taken to Camp Elliott where they became the first all-Navajo
platoon in Marine Corps history--Platoon 382.
This was not an easy recruitment. Many Navajos were willing to help,
but not as many were literate in the English language. The Navajo
recruits adjusted well to boot camp, considering few had ever been off
the reservation before. Many had never met ``Anglos'' before.
They fought across an ocean they had never seen, against an enemy
they had never met. To ensure their own land would not be in danger,
they
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joined in the effort with the United States.
The Navajo Code Talkers made a major contribution to WWII. They
provided instantaneous technical, detailed communication. None of their
codes were written; they were only memorized. The Navajo Code Talkers
came to be known as extremely dependable. They were called upon for
tasks other than just code talking; they also had duties as Marines.
The Navajo code was used almost exclusively during the battle of Iwo
Jima. They were credited for sending and receiving over 800 messages
with out an error.
``Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo
Jima,'' stated Major Howard M. Conner, signal officer for the Fifth
Division.
Eventually there would be over 400 Marine Code Talkers who would play
a vital part in the United States winning the war against Japan. In
fact, the Navajo Code Talkers would participate in every assault the
Marines took part in from late 1942 to 1945.
During the 3 years the Navajo Code Talkers participated in the war,
Japanese Intelligence was able to break almost every U.S. Army and Army
Air Corps code but not once were they able to break the Navajo code.
The Navajo Code Talkers are becoming more widely known by appearing
in Veterans Day events, special honoring ceremonies, and there was even
a Navajo G.I. Joe code talker toy developed. And now, a Hollywood film
is being developed.
So I add my voice to the much-deserved recognition and appreciation
going out today to the Navajo Code Talkers for their relentless
efforts, sacrifice and dedication in the successful outcomes in the
battle for the Pacific in World War II.
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