Unbreakable

    Just seven months earlier, Chester Nez was finishing high school in Arizona. World War II— the deadliest war in history—was spreading around the globe. For the United States, the news was not good. Japanese troops had taken over much of the Pacific Ocean. American troops were battling to win it back.

    Nez wanted to join the fight. And in April 1942, he got his chance. The Marines wanted 30 Navajo men for a top-secret project. Dozens showed up to be interviewed for the job. A couple of weeks later, Nez was packing his bags for boot camp.

    Seven months earlier, Nez was finishing high school in Arizona. World War II—the deadliest war in history—was spreading around the globe. For the United States, the news was not good. Japanese troops had taken over much of the Pacific Ocean. American troops were fighting to win it back.

    Nez wanted to help. In April 1942, he got his chance. The Marines wanted 30 Navajo men for a secret project. Dozens applied for the job. Soon Nez was headed for boot camp.

    Only seven months earlier, Chester Nez was finishing high school in Arizona. World War II        —the deadliest war in history—was spreading around the globe. For the United States, the news wasn’t good. Japanese troops had taken over much of the Pacific Ocean. American troops were battling to win it back.

    Nez wanted to join the fight—and in April 1942, he got his opportunity. The Marines wanted 30 Navajo men for a top-secret project. Dozens showed up to be interviewed for the job. A couple of weeks later, Nez was packing his bags for boot camp.

    Nez was proud to be a Marine. But he was also proud to be Navajo—or Diné [dih-NEH] in his native language. This made serving in the military complicated. His people had a history of conflict with the U.S. government.

    For centuries, the Diné herded sheep and goats in the Southwest. But in the 1860s, U.S. troops forced them off their land. Nez’s ancestors were confined to a strip of land in New Mexico. There were no trees for firewood. Crops wouldn’t grow. Many people died.

    Four years later, the Diné got their homeland back. But they weren’t truly free. Even in 1942, they couldn’t vote in the states where they lived. Many kids had to go to boarding schools run by the U.S. government. At those schools, students couldn’t use their Diné names. Their hair was cut short. They couldn’t speak their native languages.

    Chester Nez was proud to be a Marine, but he was also proud to be Navajo—or Diné [dih-NEH] in his native language. This made serving in the military complicated. His people had a long history of conflict with the U.S. government.

    The Diné had herded sheep and goats in the Southwest for centuries—but in the 1860s, U.S. troops forced them off their land. Nez’s ancestors were confined to a dry strip of land in New Mexico where crops wouldn’t grow and there were no trees for firewood. Hundreds of people died before they were allowed to return to their land.

    Although the Diné got their homeland back four years later, they weren’t truly free. Even in 1942, they couldn’t vote in the states where they lived. Many kids had to go to boarding schools run by the U.S. government. At those schools, students had their hair cut short and weren’t allowed to use their Diné names. When Nez was caught speaking his native language at boarding school, his mouth was washed out with soap.

    Despite this ugly history, Nez still wanted to help fight the war. At boot camp, he and the other Diné trained hard for seven weeks. Finally, they learned their mission: They would create a secret code based on the Diné language.

    Really? Nez wondered. This was the same language he and his classmates had not been allowed to speak in school.

    But the idea made sense. On the battlefield, the Marines needed to send messages that the enemy could not understand. Not many non-Native people spoke Diné. The language had never been fully written down. The code would be almost impossible to break.

    In spite of this ugly history, Nez wanted to help fight the war. At boot camp, he and the other Diné trained hard for weeks. Finally, they learned their mission: They would make a code based on the Diné language.

    Really? Nez wondered. The same language he had not been allowed to speak in school?

    It made sense. The Marines needed to send messages that the enemy couldn’t understand. Few non-Native people spoke Diné. The language had never been fully written down. The code would be hard to break.

    Despite this ugly history, Nez still wanted to help fight the war. At boot camp, he and the other Diné trained hard for seven weeks. Finally, they learned their mission: to create a secret code based on the Diné language.

    Really? Nez wondered. This was the same language he and his classmates had been forbidden to speak in school.

    But the idea made sense. On the battlefield, the Marines needed to send messages that the enemy couldn’t understand. Not many non-Native people spoke Diné, and the language had never been completely written down—so the code would be practically impossible to break.

    Nez and the others worked to invent the code. It took weeks. First, they picked words that would stand in for letters of the alphabet. “A” was the Diné word for ant: wol-la-chee. “B” was the word for bear: shush.

    Next they chose Diné words for common military terms. A tank became a turtle: chay-da-gahi. Battleships were whales: lo-tso.

    When the code was set, they studied. They quizzed each other. They practiced sending and decoding messages. They earned the name “code talkers.”

    In late September, they were ready. The code talkers went to war.

    For weeks, Nez and the others worked on inventing the code. First, they selected words that would stand in for letters of the alphabet. “A” would be the Diné word for ant: wol-la-chee, and “B” was the word for bear: shush.

    Next they came up with Diné words for common military terms. A tank became a turtle: chay-da-gahi, and battleships were whales: lo-tso.

    When the code was set, they studied. They quizzed each other repeatedly, and they practiced sending messages and decoding them. They earned the name “code talkers.”

    In late September, when they were finally ready, the group set out for the Pacific. Nez and the other code talkers were going to war.

    For the next two-and-a-half years, American soldiers fought their way north. About 420 code talkers were there to help.

    They called for medical help and supplies. They kept track of enemy positions. They warned officers of surprise attacks. The code talkers worked fast. They rarely made a mistake. And the code was never broken.

    The war ended in 1945. The U.S. and its allies had won.

    For the next two-and-a-half years, American soldiers battled their way north. About 420 code talkers aided in the effort, calling for medical help and supplies, keeping track of enemy positions, and warning officers of surprise attacks. The code talkers’ work was fast and practically flawless, and the code was never broken.

    The Japanese surrendered—or gave up—in August 1945. The war was finally over. The U.S. and its allies had won, and the Diné code talkers had played a critical role in the victory.

    After the war, Nez returned to the U.S. But it took a while for life to return to normal.

    Like many soldiers, Nez had bad dreams about the war. And he couldn’t tell anyone what he had done. The code might be used again. So the code talkers were ordered to remain silent.

    The story finally came out in 1969. The Marines honored the code talkers at an event in Chicago. Americans realized how important the Diné—and their language—had been.

    As for Nez, the nightmares faded. But the pride remained. “I had been respected and treated as an equal,” he said. And, like his ancestors before him, he had survived. 

    After the war, Nez returned to the U.S. But it took a while for life to return to normal.

    Nez had bad dreams about the war. And he couldn’t tell anyone what he had done. The code might be used again. So the code talkers were told to stay silent.

    In 1969, the story came out. The Marines honored the code talkers at an event in Chicago. 

    Nez felt proud. “I had been respected and treated as an equal,” he said. And, like his ancestors before him, he had survived. 

    Nez returned to the U.S. after the war, but his life didn’t immediately go back to normal.

    Like many soldiers, Nez had nightmares about the war. And he couldn’t tell anyone about his experiences: The code might be needed again, so the code talkers were ordered to remain silent.

    The story finally became known in 1969. The Marines honored the code talkers at an event in Chicago, and Americans realized how incredibly valuable the Diné—and their language—had been to the effort.

    As for Nez, the nightmares eventually faded, but the pride remained. “I had been respected and treated as an equal,” he stated. And, like his ancestors before him, he had survived.