The Real Wind Talkers

Not many people are aware of this, but during World War 2, the United States used the Native American Language to transmit and receive classified communications during the war, mostly known for their service in the Pacific Campaign.

Native Americans in the Signal Corps

Up to 400 hundred Native Americans, mostly from the Navajo Nation, served with the United States Marine Corps to relay messages to and from locations, using their native languages. Specifically, the languages of the Comanche, Hopi, Meskwaki, and Navajo. It must be pointed out that these were not particularly well-known languages and there was hardly any written text outside of the U.S., making it a completely “alien” language to any German or Japanese code breakers who might have been listening in.

The Complexity and Success of Code Talkers

There is also the fact that these Code Talkers would use code words in their transmissions, as in some cases certain words did not exist within their language. For example, a “Submarine” would be called “Iron Fish.” The use of Code Talkers has been credited with playing a key role in a number of victories during the war. The real interesting part was that the Native American codes were never broken by the Axis, making it one of the most successful intelligence operations during WW2.