Greetings! We are the Navajo Code Talkers. We were recruited in times of war and created the Navajo code. During World War II, about forty-four thousand American Indians served in the United States Army.

Before serving the United States Army, our Navajo tribe was forced to walk more than 300 miles to Fort Sumner. For several years, our Navajo tribe and settlers were in constant conflict, until our land was taken by force. In 1864, we were forced to march for three weeks towards Fort Sumner. This journey was called the Long Walk and many of our people died from hunger, disease, to name a few reasons.

A couple of years later in 1868, our Navajo tribe signed a peace treaty with the United States government, and it allowed us to return to our land but on a reservation. After this, our Navajo children were able to attend United States government schools, but the Navajo language was banned.

An opportunity arose for our Navajo tribe during World War II. Philip Johnston who was the son of Protestant missionaries had cohabitated with our tribe. He knew how difficult it would be for someone else to learn our Navajo language. In 1942, Johnston suggested to the Marine Corps that Navajos and other tribes could help in keeping communication secret.

The Marine Corps took his suggestion seriously and asked our tribe for a demonstration of our Navajo language. After the presentation, the Marine Corps recruited 29 Navajos and gave us two weeks to create a code that the United States Army could use. With great success, a Code Talking school was established and more than 400 Navajo Code Talkers were recruited and trained.

Once we completed training, we learned how to use radios and how to send messages. Our Navajo language does not have military words, so we decided to give bird or animal names to airplanes and tanks. What was known as a tank, was now called a "turtle" or a bomber airplane is now known as a "sparrow hawk."