4Real Forums: Navajo Code Talkers

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Topic: Navajo Code Talkers

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SeaStar
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Posted: June 05 2014 at 5:51am \| IP Logged

I was sad this morning to see that Chester NEz, the last living Navajo Code Talker from WWII, has died. I just finished reading his book "Code Talkers" a couple of weeks ago, and it was an amazing and inspiring story.

It would be a great living book to use with older students (there are a couple of foul words in the footnotes- for instance to explain the origin of the word "snafu"; those could easily be blacked out if needed). And there are some sad parts- how the Native Americans were treated by the government.

I can't help wonder how the war would have played out in the Pacific without the code talkers. Messages that were taking 4 hours to send and decode were sent and decoded in two and a half minutes by the code talkers. That was huge- it saved thousands of lives.

The code talkers were sworn to secrecy about their work for many years after the war and never rose above the rank of private, first class. I find that ironic, since they were so valuable that during the war they had body guards who followed them every where and were instructed to kill them rather than let them be taken as prisoners and endanger the code.

I have not seen the "Wind Talkers" movie based on the book, but the reviews for it are just so-so.

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guitarnan
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Posted: June 05 2014 at 7:01am \| IP Logged

This book, while a novel, is suitable for younger readers (the reviews say 5th-6th grade to 9th grade). It, too, has sad parts, particularly in the description of what it was like for a Navajo child to be at a government-run boarding school, but overall it is a very good book.

A few museums have Code Talker exhibits - I know the National Cryptologic Museum (near Ft. Meade, MD, and excellent overall) has one. Maybe we can collect a list of other Code Talker exhibits around the U. S.

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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.

CrunchyMom
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Posted: June 05 2014 at 8:14am \| IP Logged

I don't remember much, but I think the movie was just so-so. I know dh and I were not wowed by it for sure. There was a documentary on PBS that we had enjoyed much more.

I will have to add that book to our list, Nancy. I know it is something my boys would be interested in.

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JennGM
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Posted: June 05 2014 at 2:31pm \| IP Logged

How funny. I saw the news item and wondered what books could we read about this? And then came this thread....

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guitarnan
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Posted: June 05 2014 at 2:44pm \| IP Logged

Jenn, you should come up to the National Cryptologic Museum at Ft. Meade! They have a small Code Talkers exhibit, plus Enigma machines you can play with. It's free, too!

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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.

MaryM
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Posted: June 06 2014 at 2:40am \| IP Logged

For picture books there is The Unbreakable Code by Sara Hoagland Hunter. It is a decent history of the code talkers told through a grandfather to his grandson. As a heads up has a remarriage of the mother - which is why the boy is leaving reservation.

The National Museum of the American Indian has a very good online, interactive exhibit on the story of the code talkers.

Another online resource - Navajo Code Talkers

Smithsonian has a traveling exhibit which will be a few places this summer.
04/26/2014-07/06/2014 Suquamish Museum, Suquamish, WA
07/26/2014-10/05/2014 Butler County History Center & Kansas Oil Museum, El Dorado, KS

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