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The Unbreakable Code

During World Wars I and II, the U.S. military needed to encrypt communications from enemy intelligence. American Indians had their own languages and dialects that very people few outside of their tribes understood. And they used this to create a Code that couldn't be broken.

The Code talker Monument at NAU in Flagstaff, Az.









First 29 Navajo U.S. Marine Corps code-talker recruits being sworn in at Fort Wingate, NM.

Navajo Indian communication men with the Marines on Saipan landed with the first assault waves to his the beach.



Mike Kiyaani


Richard Singer






Paul Homer Blatchford



U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Chester Nez recieves an American flag from Pfc. Tiffany Boyd, at Code Talker Hall, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., April 4, 2014. The flag was flown over the Marine Corps War Memorial, on the first day of spring in honor of Cpl. Nez's attendace at the Platoon 382 Hall rededication. Cpl. Nez is the last of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers of World War II.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kathryn K. Bynum/Released)




Navajo Code Talkers

Akee, Dan

Alfred, Johnnie (or Johnny)

Allen, Perry

Anderson, Edward B.

Anthony, Franklin A.

Apache, Jimmie

Arviso, Bennie

Ashley, Regis

Augustine, John

Ayze, Lewis Franklin

Babiya, Don

Bahe, Henry Jr.

Bahe, Woody

Baldwin, Benjamin C.

Beard, Harold

Becenti, Ned D.

Becenti, Roy Lewis

Bedoni, Sidney

Begay, Carlos

Begay, Charley (or Charlie) Tsosie (or Sosie)

Begay, Charlie Y.(or H.)

Begay, E.

Begay, George K.

Begay, Henry

Begay, Jerry Claschee Jr.

Begay, Jimmie M.

Begay, Joe N.

Begay, Lee H.

Begay, Leo B.

Begay, Leonard

Begay, Notah

Begay, Paul

Begay, Roy

Begay, Samuel Hosteen Nez

Begay, Thomas H.

Begay, Walter

Begay, Walter (or Willie) Kesoli

Begay, Wilson J.

Begaye, Fleming D. Sr.

Begody, David Maize

Begody, Roger

Belinda, Wilmer

Belone, Harry Sr.

Benally, Harrison Lee

Benally, Harry

Benally, Jimmie L.

Benally, John Ashi

Benally, Johnson Delwashie

Benally, Samuel

Bennallie (or Benallalie), Jimmie D.

Bentone (or Benton), Willie Sr.

Bernard, John

Betone, Lloyd

Bia, Andrew

Billey, Wilfred E.

Billie, Ben

Billiman, Howard Jr.

Billison, Samuel

Billy, Sam Jones

Bitse, Peter John

Bitsie, Wilsie H.

Bitsoi, Delford E. (or Baldwin)

Bizard, Jesse J.

Black, Jesse

Blatchford, Paul H.

Bluehorse, David

Bowman, John Henry

Bowman, Robert

Brown, Arthur C.

Brown, Clarence Paul

Brown, Cosey Stanley

Brown, John Jr.

Brown, N.A.

Brown, Tsosie Herman

Brown, William Tully

Buck, Wilford

Burke, Bobby

Burnie, Jose Jr.

Burnside, Francis A.

Burr, Sandy

Cadman, William

Calleditto (or Calledito), Andrew

Carroll, Oscar Tsosie

Cattle Chaser, Dennis

Cayedito, Del

Cayedito, Ralph

Charley, Carson Bahe

Charlie, Sam Sr.

Chase, Frederick

Chavez, George Sr.

Chee, Guy Claus

Chee, John

Clah, Stewart

Clark, Jimmie

Claw, Thomas

Cleveland, Benjamin H.

Cleveland, Billie

Cleveland, Ned

Cody, Leslie

Cohoe, James Charles

Craig, Bob Etsitty

Crawford, Eugene Roanhorse

Crawford, Karl Kee (or Lee)

Cronemeyer, Walter

Crosby, Billy

Curley, David

Curley, Rueben

Dale, Ray

Damon, Anson Chandler

Damon, Lowell Smith

Davis, Tully

Deel, Martin Dale

Dehiya, Dan

Dennison, George H.

Dennison, Leo

Dixon, James

Dodge, Jerome Cody

Dooley, Richard

Doolie, John

Doolie, Richardson

Draper, Nelson

Draper, Teddy Sr.

Etsicitty, Kee

Etsitty, Deswood

Evans (or Evas), Harold

Foghorn, Ray

Foster, Harold Y.

Fowler, King

Francisco, Jimmy

Freeman, Edwin

Gatewood, Joseph (or Joe) Patrick

George, William M.

Gishal (or Gishall), Milton Miller

Gleason, Jimmie (or James)

Goldtooth (or Gooldtooth), Emmett

Goodluck, John V.

Goodman, Billie

Gorman, Carl Nelson

Gorman, Tom

Gray, Harvey

Grayson, Bill Lewis

Greymountain, Yazzie

Guerito, Billy Lewis

Gustine, Tully

Guy, Charles

Harding, Ben Williams (or William)

Harding, Jack W.

Hardy, Tom

Harrison, Emmett (or Tom)

Haskie, Ross

Hawthorne, Roy Orville

Haycock, Bud

Hemstreet, Leslie

Henry, Albert

Henry, Edmund Juan Sr.

Henry, Kent Carl

Hickman, Dean (or Dan) Junian

Holiday, Calvin

Holiday (or Holliday), Samuel T.

Housewood, Johnson

Housteen, Dennie

Howard, Ambrose

Hubbard, Arthur Jose

Hudson, Lewey

Hunter, Tom

Ilthma, Oscar B.

Jake, H.

James, Benjamin

James, Billy

James, George B.

Jenson, Nevy

Johle, Elliott

John, Charlie Tsihi

John, Edmund

John, Leroy

Johnny, Earl

Johnson, Deswood Remy

Johnson, Francis Taylor

Johnson, Johnnie (or Johnny)

Johnson, Peter

Johnson, Ralph

Jones, Jack

Jones, Tom H.

Jordan, David

Jose, Teddy

June, Allen Dale

June, Floyd

Keams (or Kearns), Percy

Keedah, Wilson

Kellwood, Joe (or Joseph) H.

Kescoli, Alonzo

Ketchum, Bahe

Kien, William

King, Jimmy Kelly Sr.

Kinlahcheeny, Paul

Kinsel, John Sr.

Kirk, George Harlan Sr.

Kirk, Leo

Kiyaani, Mike

Kontz, Rex T.

Lapahie, Harrison Sr.

Largo, James

Leonard, Alfred

Leroy, George (or John)

Leuppe, Edward

Little, Keith Morrison

Lopez, Tommy K.

MacDonald, Peter

Malone, Max

Malone, Rex T.

Malone, Robert

Maloney, James

Maloney, Paul Edward

Manuelito, Ben Charles

Manuelito, Ira

Manuelito, James C. Sr.

Manuelito, Johnny R.

Manuelito, Peter R.

Marianito, Frank

Mark, Robert

Martin, Matthew

Martinez, Jose

McCab+B201e, William

McCraith, Archibald

Mike, King Paul

Miles, General

Moffitt, Tom Clah

Morgan, Herbert

Morgan, Jack C.

Morgan, Ralph

Morgan, Sam

Morris, Joe

Moss, George Alfred

Multine, Oscar Phillip

Murphy, Calvin Henderson

Nagurski, Adolph (or Alolph) N.

Nahkai, James Thomas Jr.

Nakaidinae, Peter

Napa, Martin

Naswood, Johnson

Negale, Harding

Newman, Alfred K. Sr.

Nez, Arthur

Nez, Chester

Nez, Freeland

Nez, Howard Hosteen Sr.

Nez, Israel Hosteen

Nez, Jack

Nez, Sidney

Notah, Roy (or Ray)

Notah, Willie A.

O'Dell, Billy

Oliver, Lloyd

Oliver, Willard V.

Otero (or Ottero), Tom

Paddock, Layton Sr.

Pahe, Robert D.

**Palmer, Joe (originally Balmer Slowtalker)

Parrish, Paul A.

Patrick, Amos Roy

Patterson, David E.

Peaches, Alfred James

Peshlakai, Sam

Pete, Frank Danny (or Denny)

Peterson, Joe (or Jose) Sr.

Pinto, Gual (or Guy)

Pinto, John

Platero, Richard

Preston, Jimmie

Price, Joe Frederick

Price, Wilson Henry

Reed, Sam

Roanhorse, Harry C.

Sage, Andy

Sage, Denny

Salabiye, Jerry Edgar Sr.

Sandoval, Merril Leo

Sandoval, Peter Paul

Sandoval, Samuel

Sandoval, Thomas

Scott, John

Sells, John Captain

Shields, Freddie

Shorty, Dooley

Shorty, Robert Tom

Silversmith, Joe A.

Silversmith, Sammy

Singer, Oscar Jones

Singer, Richard B.

Singer, Tom

Skeet, Wilson Chee

Slinky, Richard T.

Slivers, Albert James

**Slowtalker, Balmer (later Joe Palmer)

Smiley, Arcenio

Smith, Albert

Smith, Enock

Smith, George

Smith, Raymond R.

Smith, Samuel Jesse (or Jessie) Sr.

Soce, George Bill

Sorrell, Benjamin G. Sr.

Spencer, Harry

Tabaha, Johnnie (or Johnie) Sr.

Tah, Alfred

Tah, Edward

Talley, John

Tallsalt, Bert

Thomas, Edward

Thomas, Richard Sr.

Thompson, Claire M. Sr.

Thompson, Everett (or Everitt) M.

Thompson, Francis Tso

Thompson, Frank T.

Thompson, Nelson S.

Todacheene, Carl Leo

Todacheenie, Frank Carl

Tohe, Benson

Toledo, Bill Henry

Toledo, Curtis

Toledo, Frank

Toledo, Preston

Toledo, Willie

Towne, Joseph H.

Towne, Zane

Tracy, Peter

Tso, Chester Housteen

Tso, Howard Benedict

Tso, Paul Edward

Tso, Samuel N.

Tsosie, Alfred

Tsosie, Cecil Gorman

Tsosie, Collins D.

Tsosie, David W.

Tsosie, Harry

Tsosie, Howard

Tsosie, Kenneth

Tsosie, Samuel Sr.

Tsosie, Woody B.

Upshaw, John

Upshaw, William R.

Vandever, Joe Sr.

Visalia, Buster

Wagner, Oliver

Walley, Robert (or Roberts)

Werito, John

Whitman, Lyman Jimmie

Willeto (or Willetto), Frank (or Frankie) Chee Jr.

Williams, Alex

Williams, Kenneth

Willie, George Boyd

Willie, John W. Jr.

Wilson, William Dean

Woodty, Clarence Bahe (or Bahi)

Yazza, Peter

Yazza, Vincent

Yazzie, Charlie

Yazzie, Clifton

Yazzie, Daniel

Yazzie, Eddie Melvin

Yazzie, Edison Kee

Yazzie, Felix

Yazzie, Francis

Yazzie, Frank Harold

Yazzie, Harding

Yazzie (or Yazhe), Harrison A.

Yazzie, Joe Shorty

Yazzie, John

Yazzie, Justine D.

Yazzie, Lemuel Bahe

Yazzie, Ned

Yazzie, Pahe D.

Yazzie, Peter

Yazzie, Raphael D.

Yazzie, Robert H.

Yazzie, Sam

Yazzie, William

Yellowhair, Leon

Yellowhair, Stanley

Yellowman, Howard Thomas

Yoe, George Edward

Zah, Henry

(source Lapahie)


Episode sources:


https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/navajo-code-talkers-and-the-unbreakable-code/


https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/n/code-talkers.html






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