Code of honor

We’ve lost two important pieces of history this week: two of the Navajo Code Talkers have died.

Brown Jr. John, 88, last of the original group of Code Talkers died at his home in Crystal, N.M. He volunteered for the Marines & wasn’t told that he’d be part of the secret communications group until he started Boot Camp. Thomas Claw, 87, died of cancer in Prescott, Ariz.

Both men left families & a legacy of service to a country that didn’t always do right by their people.

Code Talkers were stationed around the Pacific Theatre to foil Japanese attempts to crack Allied communications. Navajos were picked because the language is extremely complex & almost impossible to learn unless you’re immersed in it from birth. But they didn’t just speak Navajo; they added another layer of confusion for cryptologists by assigning code words for military discussions. “Tortoise”, for example, represented a tank; “potato” a hand grenade.

After the war, Code Talkers returned to civilian life & were told not to speak of their service. The project wasn’t declassified until 1968.

Some Code Talkers were captured by the Japanese & tortured to reveal the code. None gave it up.

With John & Claw our connection to that story & to the concept of dedicated service without expectation of high reward has been diminished. Consider that on 14 August, which is “Navajo Code Talkers Day” in the US.