Until the Navajo Code, “The Japanese deciphered every communication code utilized by the United States Military.”

~ True Whispers: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers

Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, 1943, Encyclopedia Britannica.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7th, 1941, the United States joined World War II. The U.S. used a strategy called “island-hopping” to take over the Pacific Islands that were occupied by the Japanese. This allowed the U.S. military to get bombers closer to mainland Japan and prepare for a possible invasion.

The Pacific Theater was the scene for a series of major battles in WWII. The most critical island in the Pacific was Iwo Jima, because it had an airstrip and was close to mainland Japan. The U.S. used it for fighter planes and bombers to attack Japan.

The Japanese were merciless to everyone, including themselves. They fought to the death. If a Japanese soldier was captured by the Americans, he would kill himself instead of becoming a prisoner. They were that serious about winning. If the Japanese caught a Navajo Code Talker, they would torture them to reveal the code.

Pacific Theater map,1942, Encyclopedia Britannica.

"It is not a good thing to make human beings become mindless killing machines. It is not good for the soul, heart or mind. The Japanese forced many a man to become the one thing humans must never become: mindless killers."

 
~ Anonymous Code Talker

Chester Nez, 1942, National Archives.

What was different about the Navajo code from other encryption methods is that the Code Talkers were able to encode, send, and decode a message in real time. For example, six Code Talkers transmitted more than 800 messages over two days without a single error.

The Navajo Code Talkers improved battlefield communications, which made it easier for the U.S. to fight the Japanese. The Code Talkers were essential to the United States' success in the Pacific.

On some of the islands the Japanese had constructed a network of caves where they would hide. The Code Talkers could quickly send demolition requests to destroy the caves and remove these important hiding spots for the Japanese.

Other messages the Code Talkers could send were requests for tank support against mortar fire and ordering air strikes while safely giving their own locations.