Navajo Code Talker - Peter MacDonald, Sr.

well welcome again my name is Dave Landers I'm the director of educational programs for our University Libraries and this is one of the events that we sponsor among other events that we do with the Los Angeles County Office of Education in k-12 schools one of my passions is history I taught history for fifteen years in middle school so some people think I'm just a bit off but after teaching middle school but I love history and I love the stories of history and history to me is telling stories and one thing that my students have always enjoyed is hearing from people that live through events in history and that's what we have tonight we have a World War two veteran who is a Navajo code talker and many don't even know the story of the Navajo code talkers other than the movie how many of you saw the movie Windtalkers okay I hear it's kind of accurate for a Hollywood movie but we also have in the audience to some other veterans that served as Navajo code talkers as well between World War two and Vietnam if you don't know the code was secret until 1969 when it was Declassified so many of the Navajo code talkers didn't talk about what they did what the code was and that's why many of us don't know what the story is I met Louis Yazzie who's a neighbor of mine in Glendora who was a code talker he came to our history de la event that we have for 4th through 12th graders and they talked about the Navajo Nation the Navajo code talkers and then Lewis has been telling me you've got to get Peter McDonald accomplished you know you've got a column he'll come if you call and so I actually did call and I talked to his daughter and we talked over the summer and you wouldn't believe how busy his schedule is he puts me to shame so but what we you know you don't want to hear me tonight you want to hear Peter McDonald and so I'd like to before we call him up we have our zoo specific University ROTC who will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance so I will ask our captain to come in we got fans please stand put your right hand over your heart and repeat after me thank you I think we have a few veterans in the house before we get started if you are a veteran and you're able would you please stand [Applause] thank you for your service I won't ask branch aroun we don't want to get into the you know who's better but I think it's safe to say tonight the Marine Corps is the front and center branch that's being honored tonight so without further ado I'd like to ask Peter McDonald to come up [Applause] thank you very much good evening ladies and gentlemen it's real a pleasure and a privilege for me to be here this evening I know there are some Navajos here so I want to say yacht day should in there aren't you dog attack hippie yeah I could end a fascist what's wrong doc where Dannette now there honey Clinic II now that he saw doc reddish engine ago they no snitch I don't - it's okay - she gonna go in not by the fire - Oh bother innocent and those of you who are veterans I know they're Navy Marines Air Force Army and others Coast Guard's all worked together to maintain peace and harmony within the Navajo Nation so and also United States I want to say simplified to all you who are Monroe you know it's really something special for me to be here at Pacific University expect in 1957 after graduating from University of Oklahoma I got a job in Los Angeles at El Segundo Culver City I've got a job with Howard Hughes Hughes Aircraft Company and I work for Howard Hughes until 1963 so pretty well familiar with the Los Angeles area Azusa why is looser because back in those days 1950s early sixties there were at least three dozen Navajos in this area and we form a Navajo Los Angeles Navajo club so we could get together and maintain our language have fun maintain the culture as well and what we used to do is go up to the mountain of his San Gabriel Mountains on weekends would take a sheep up there and find a nice place up in the mountains and butcher the Sheep make fried bread and we remember all the things that we had done when we were growing up on Navajo Nation that was how I became aware of such a place and SaLuSa and also a big bear so it so I've been here before and this is the first time I really got back here as they someone who wants to share my experience with you I've been back here several times but only on a different business in the early part of World War two shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor the United States was getting ready to fight back in the Pacific not too long after December 7 1941 Marines Navy Air Force and Army ran into one big problem the problem was communication they tell us that in any war whichever site that has the best communication normally has the advantage in the war well in this case the enemy had the advantage why because they were brick in every military coat that was being used in the Pacific making it very difficult to strategize without the enemy knowing what you're going to be doing where are you going to be what day and what hour no Pacific is a huge area it takes days to go from point A to point B sometime even weeks so the enemy had all that time to brick to code brick in code was very bad for us because no matter what code you use the enemy would break it the enemy would know exactly where we're going to be what route we can be taking what our where and when we are going to be at a specific location and they would be there with their submarine blow up our shipment of supplies equipment as well as personnel this became a real problem for Marines in Navy Air Force and Army a gentleman by the name of Philip Johnston was working near San Diego back in early 1942 this situation of envy breaking code became public knowledge around January of 1942 Philip Johnson learn of this situation so he went over to the United States Marine Corps Base to talk with the Marine Corps communication officers he told them why not use Navajo language as a code to enemy doesn't know Navajo language therefore it could be safe well after much explanation Maurice really couldn't understand what he was really talking about so Philip Johnston went back to the Navajo Nation brought for Navajos to San Diego Marine Corps Base to demonstrate what he was talking about they put two Navajos with radio headset on one end of the building the other two on the other end they gave this to a message to Center the other two they compared to two messages the one there was sent to wonder was received they're similar but not exactly alike but Marines were very desperate to get a code that the enemy would not understand so they asked a comma dot evene on States Marine Corps in Washington DC permission to try this suggestion made by Philip Johnston Philip Johnson was not a never his parents came to the Navajo Nation late 1800 as missionaries to Navajos so Philip Johnson grew up on a Navajo played with Navajo kids and learned the language he spoke Navajo very well he also knew the culture of Navajo well the Commodore asked if they could try this his initial response was no don't do that we don't know these Indians he said all we know is what we see in the movies when they see a wagon train they yell and holler right around our wagon train shooting arrows this is not that kind of a war so leave it alone that was the Commodus initial response number two the combatants said Marine Corps is a very proud organization we don't want anyone we're United States Marine Corps uniform that might embarrass this proud organization just do the best you can I'm sorry well with that rejection the enemy continue to break codes the enemy continued to move in our direction real fast taking a strategic islands as a matter of fact that we need in order to get close to their homeland more pressure on the karmadoll we need a code we might as well just call the enemy and say hey we couldn't go such-and-such a place such as such a time we can be such and such location that's how it was well the Commandant more pressure on the commad on eventually the comma dad in April of 1942 said okay but you gotta do it my way my way is whatever project you can be put in together to create a military code use in Navajo language it has to be top secret no one should know what you are going to do because all military codes are top secret so it has to be top-secret project number one ask the Navajo Nation to use their language only number two just recruit 30 young Navajos don't tell them what you're going to do with them just ask them that they want to fight and shoot the enemy not with errors about what rifles the Commandant also said we want to make sure that these 30 young Navajos can become United States Marines first so don't tell them just ask them if they wanted Ranma raise and fight the enemy if they say yes recruit them like you do all other Marines you recruit process them through boot camp just like everyone else that joins the Marine Corps process them through combat training if they pass that process them through Marine Corps communication school and if they pass that go ahead and use them what you want to do with them but remember this is a top-secret project so Marine Corps came out to the Navajo Nation in May of 1942 to recruit 30 young Navajos well they stopped at Flagstaff Arizona asked a lot of questions they were told that how did it Navajo Nation there's no power lines no telephone lines no buildings no schools just a lot of hope guns a lot of sheep horses and cattle back in the 30s and 40s most never whole families had at least 1500 hair sheep 500 head of cows and about 30 horses well no no highways either just wagon trails here and there so they keep asking question where do Navajo kids go to school there were told that there were four federally operated boarding schools for Navajo kids one is on the east side Shiprock New Mexico that's where I went to boarding school back in the 30s the second one east of Gallup New Mexico for wouldn't gain New Mexico the third boarding school for Navajo kids Fort Defiance Arizona the last one the fourth one is on the west side of the Navajo Nation tupa City Arizona that's where I live now where I was born and raised by 150 miles east of Tuba City that's where I was born and raised he's nuts bus Arizona about eight miles from there four corners but like traditional Navajo where I'm over at my wife's place they never Hall we're back in doe States not today but back in the days of 1930s and 40s you don't talk to you the girl that you're gonna marry as a man or sometime you don't even know who she is what happened is that the parents do the negotiation all kinds of negotiation trying to where you off to a girl some what some distance away because make sure you they are not related plan was of course the father and mother of their girl asked a lot of the question what kind of a boy are you trying to marry into our daughter well they tell them all about what you can do and some common stretch the truth a little bit about you and then of course your parents also ask question what can your daughter do oh she can't grindcore and she can't even all how to handle cook all kinds of things so they agreed meantime you don't know this is going on she doesn't know either so all of a sudden that date he said and then the bridegroom and if family pack up their horses and the gifts and go all the way to the bride's place and they have a ceremony there and then they give the gift to the bride's family all night long they talk to you in the morning your family goes back to where you came from and you're staying at the end lost place I always wondered why they did that not too long I found out that the bride's family actually acquires a slave you become a slave to your wife's family well I'm here with my daughter my youngest daughter her name is charity she trusts me around there she is she and her husband and her little aborting story live right next to us so I get requests to speak here and there and I sometime I would get in the car and drive she said no way we don't want over 9000 person to be driving on the specie highways too dangerous so she takes the keys away from me and drives me around wherever I'm asked to speak well that's the story about horrible cuerda boarding schools are a little culture thing about navajo marriage why i'm at least 150 miles west of where i was born well Marine recruiters went at these boarding schools recruited 30 young Navajos hughes and detectives to comment on suggested you want to fight you want to shoot the enemy you want to wear a nice blue Marine Corps uniform like this join the Marines fight the enemy so they did their volunteer all 30 of them they gave them preliminary physical exam one drop out so just 29 were bused down to San Diego now we talk in May of 1942 29 young Navajos bus down to San Diego they were form into one platoon there were several platoons going through boot camp all at the same time graduation from boot camp they create each platoons never hope that two came in number one of all other platoons going through boot camp at that fire of course that message went took back to the comma docked comma Tom was very happy said wonderful process them to come back training now see what they do well what the Mirage States Marine Corps and comma Don don't know he's back in those states in the thirties and forties it was not unusual for any one of us to put in five to ten miles every day managing the lifestyle that I just mentioned before sunup you eat you get out and move these livestock out three or four of us young people and they tell us to take these animals out to a nice green pasture if you do find a green pasture stay out there overnight if necessary maybe two nights so you carry a blanket if you find a good pasture you stay out there with the animals whether it's raining dust storm some beating down on you or snow and you stay out there and also one of us would be caring 22 rifle you get hungry out there so you shoot a rabbit you barbecued a rabbit that you meal for today that's how it was some time 10 to 15 miles every day managing these livestock so to these 29 young Navajos that just went through boot camp he was like a vacation oh my god a bed to sleep on with mattress clean sheets pillows we didn't know there was such a thing as pillows until we got to San Diego also you don't have to carry 22 rifle to get something to eat just get in a chow line three meals a day what a life Tampere training the same thing no problem Marine Corps communications school at Camp Pendleton California where they taught us how to use various communication equipment that was in use at that time how to make minor repairs out in the field they also taught us Navy Simha for signals taught us Morse code memorized tested we passed also they tell us how to string telephone lines from coconut trees to coconut trees all of that Marine Corps communication school so these 29 young Navajos they went in first graduated from Marine Corps communication school with high grades and then they were put and a separate bus separated from all other Marines they were then taken to the east side of San Diego a top-secret location I built in about half the size of an average hotel with high fence all around there built in and it gave at the gate there were two guards over the gate there's a big sign that says keep out top-secret operation through that gate in on States Marine Corps Colonel a full-bird Colonel Marsh age 29 young Navajos through that gate into a classroom about a third the size of this room here and in that classroom were tables with four chairs around each table in front of each chair writing tablets a pencil blackboard chalk an eraser on the wall colonel then the trustees 29 young Navajo Marines now he said gentlemen you are Marines now you ready to go fight and shoot the enemy but before you do that we love for you to do something else we'd like for you to develop a military coat using your language this is the first time mind you that these 29 young young Navajos volunteered to fight the enemy and shoot the enemy here they are and a top-secret classroom with writing tablets and pencils in front of them the colonel said immediately whatever you do in this classroom it's top secret no one knows you're here you are not to tell anyone that what you're doing in this classroom before you go back out there game we're going to search you from your toes to the top of your head making sure you don't take anything out of this top-secret classroom back to your barracks you are not to tell anyone what you are doing in this classroom as a matter of fact they don't know that you're in this classroom also the colonel went on and said whatever coach you can be developing we don't want you to copy it and carry it in your pocket you're not going to care anything out of this classroom you're not going to care anything to battle because if you do it enemy's shoes should they search you and they'll find that copy of the code if you're if you take care of it around with you nothing like that everything will be subject to memory only another thing the colonel said whatever coach you're gonna be developing in this top-secret classroom only you would know not another Navajo not in this classroom but outside should ever know what these code words represent only you won't know that's the kind of code we want with a lot of instruction behalf this particular project is top secret and what happened the kernel then said here's a box full of sample messages sent in combat look at it read it and see how you can send messages like this using the code you can't be developing Colonel set down that his pipe and said go to work gentlemen imagine yourself sitting there one of the twenty-nine you join him arranged a fight did everything right and here you are in a classroom being told whatever your tone is tough secret and you're going to develop a military code so well that good Marines you have to do what the officer says so they did they look at the messages they read it they were all written in English language using the English alphabet ap CTE this present the first speak problem for these 29 young Navajos were talking now June of 1940 - why was it a problem because Navajos now the written language we don't have never whole words for letters like ABCDE F so how in the world you're gonna send a message you don't even have words for it so at least 29 young never talk about it discuss it eventually one of them went to the blackboard and wrote on a big letter a and said since only we in this top-secret class from our to know what these code words that we are developing represents let's call the letter a balasana balasana in Navajo means up hope okay so I wrote down in their tablet letter A equals balasana or Apple how about letter B after discussion and a while they called letter B shush-shush in Navajo means bear letter C masa masa in Navajo means cat letter D P P in Navajo means deer dar he see what they were doing they were selecting Navajo words that are very familiar with under reservation apples bears go hunting deer and also catch each letter like a at home when his spells in English starts with a bear when his fell in English starts with B that's why I rivers they decide to call fare be shush Oh bear because it starts with B all the way down the line some of the letters they had difficulty agreeing what to call different suggestions decline in it discussing it finally eventually like the letter J they eventually decided to call the letter J Tilly cooking telly Chucky in Navajo means jackass it's not what you're thinking but these are animals we had we use them to haul water and wood and manage the livestock all the way down to letter Z the code word for letter Z was special fish fish notation Navajo means sink zinc starts with Z right also we have quite a few zinc on Navajo so now they have developed code words for each letters of the English alphabet and only they in that top secret knows not another Navajo if you say but if they hear us a palace on another Navajo not in that classroom hear us a palace on they they were taught us something you eat but we the code talkers when we hear balasana we write down the letter in all the way down the line of course the the colonel also said there's another Marine Corps officer in that same classroom he said this officer is a Marine Corps military code expert whatever code you develop you run it by him so they did they said we got code words for each letters of the English alphabet and all we we know no one on the outside does well the officer said that's great that's wonderful but remember we have an enemy that is very smart and very intelligent they can break any code that's in use and they use different method to do that one of the method is repetition there's quite a few English words to have more than one a of order 1 P 1 C that's repetition not the word guadalcanal has four A's in it so you don't want to say palace honorable asana balasana bill asana four times spelling Guadalcanal so back to the drawing board what do we do well the twenty-nine one never was decided okay if that's the case then why don't we create two additional words for each letters of the English alphabet like the letter A the first code word would be balasana apple ii kirk word for the letter A would be tennis tennis in Navajo means X something you chop wood with the third code word for the letter A will be will achieve will a Chi in Navajo means ant a and T two additional words for each letters of the English alphabet from A to Z they ran it by the code expert the code expert so wonderful that's what we want terrific yeah terrific for you but what that mean is we had to memorize that many more code words for each letters of the English alphabet remember everything is subject to memory only there were many military terms that there were no never whole words for it like hand grenade we never know there's such a thing as hand grenade till we got the San Diego no Navajo words for that so what do we decide to call hand grenade no mercy no mercy in Navajo means potato hand grenade looks like a potato so if another neighborhood not in that top secret class from here I say no mercy they think we're talk about French spies but wait the code talkers when we hear the word no mercy coming through the air we write down Hand Grenade creating code words every day from sunup to sundown all through the month of June into July of 1942 by mid-july there were over 260 code words developed this first 29 young Navajos recruited to develop their first set of code words every Friday there would be a test they divide the group into two Group A and Group B group a is given a radio set headsets and Group B the same thing they give Group A a message containing all those code words that are developed sent to group B group B writes it down they compare the two messages to see how well we are memorizing decode words test every Friday well taught Deanna July 1942 final test group a and Group B group a is given a real tough message containing all of those 260 quote words just develop and memorize sent to Group B group you wrote it down they compared to two messages very much unlike with one exception punctuation marks back to the classroom to create code words for punctuation marks a period no problem decision toughest in the Navajo means up like that summer : took a little time to create code word for it but eventually it was called decision but not dead division would say not dead in Navajo means a black dot that lost its tail repeat the code word for semicolon question mark a char a char in Navajo means ears question Marla flaca near all the populations you could think of code words were developed memorized back to group a and group b group a is given that 260 code word that had just been developed and memorized including punctuation marks sent to group B group B wrote it down they compared the two messages but golly it's very very much alike as a matter of fact it looks like a sea rocks copy of the one that was sent at this juncture the colonel said gentlemen were finished now we can test this code that you just developed top-secret military code that you just developed an actual pattern to see how your memory works and under enemy gunfire so toward the end of July 1942 13 of the Navajo code talkers after 29 that went in developed the code memorized it 13 of them were sent overseas to join the 1st Marine Division 1st Marine Division was in Australia getting ready to go under first offensive movement in the Pacific August 7 1942 76 years ago 1st Marine Division leaded on the beaches of Guadalcanal August 7 1942 where 13 Navajo code talkers to test this new quote that was just developed again it's a top-secret operation three weeks after the landing general Vandegrift commander of the 1st Marine Division sent word back to United States say this Navajo code is terrific the enemy never understood it we don't understand it either but it works send us some more Navajos that was the message general Vandergriff sent back to united states to the commandant of United States Marine Corps commandant then of course was very happy so he ordered San Diego Marine Corps Base to take charge of this new military coat that was just developed tested and passed the test so from that day on San Diego Marine Corps Base took charge of recruiting Navajos after August 1942 using the same tactics come out here say hey you want to join the Marines you want to shoot the enemy you want to wear a blue uniform like this come join the Marines nothing about code zero so we all volunteered to join marine and fight I went in early 1944 at age 15 that's another story but anyway recruiting Navajos every month going through boot camp combat training communication school and if you pass all of that then they separate you from the rest of the Marines take you to that top-secret location top-secret classroom and learn those quote words that were developed initially by the 29 young Navajos if you pass that test they certify you as a Navajo code talkers and ship your overseas to join the rest of the Marines that's how the code was developed and tested on the first landing in the Pacific Waddell canal after Guadalcanal every landing in the Pacific Navajo code was used as a matter of fact right after the test of this new code on Guadalcanal Navajo code became an official military code to be used in a Pacific just like all other military code in use at that time to be protected the same way after Guadalcanal Buchan veil after book interval care cluster after cluster New Britain after New Britain Tarawa make n cahuachi lean in we talk Saipan Tinian Guam awesome WOM after Guam the next island Peleliu a real bad one after Peleliu he would Eva another bad one after a whoa Okinawa after Okinawa some of us were sent into North China there were close to a million Japanese soldiers in Manchuria who didn't want to surrender even after they Empress's we quit they were saying in pro you may quit but we're not going to quit we're going to continue fighting so they sent 1st Marine Division six marine division into North China to get those guys to surrender they eventually did October 25 1945 we have separate peace treaty ceremony with all those Japanese in North China at Tsingtao China October 25 1945 all through these battles navajo code was used how was it used it was very organized every landing to communication network is established by Marines and Navy the first one Navajo communication network they call it Navajo communication network for all top secret confidential messages messages you don't want the enemy to know goes through Navajo communication network from the frontline Beach command post into the command ship command ship is usually a battleship from their battleship command ship the general that the arrows are directly in the operation for that landing and all other units use in the landing Navajo code talkers in those locations including the aircraft carrier Navajo code talkers marine airwaves they had Navajo code talkers marine tank units had Navajo code talkers marine artillery unit had Navajo code talkers everywhere for all top secret confidential messages messages you don't want the enemy to know went through Navajo communication network every landing the second communication network English communication network for all other messages messages you don't want the enemy to know went through English communication network from the frontline Beach command post into the command ship as a matter of picking a command ship there were two tables usually it's a battleship in their communication room around one table sits about five of us never hold code talkers with message pass in front of us Navy also assigns us every landing a runner to stand behind each one of us 24 hours a day when diverse far is shut on the all hell breaks loose messages everywhere both English and Navajo coming in so at this table around which Navajo code talkers sits message to stop coming in Navajo code we'd write it down in English handed over our shoulder to the runner that's a sign to stand behind us 24 hours a day he takes it up to the bridge gives it to the Admiral or a general they read it they respond the runner brings it back down if on top of that message it says Arizona New Mexico we send that back out in Navajo code to wherever it is intended if it does not have that there's the next table right next to us around that table sits blond-haired blue-eyed kids with headphones just like us they send that out and English code these two Network Navajo and English worked together everywhere site by site from the time the first shot is fired on Deer Island until the island is secured that's how this neighborhood code was used in every better how does he sound well let's go to Iwo Jima most people are familiar with evil 3 Marine Division landed on Iwo Jima 3rd 4th and 5th February 1945 Marines recruiting a lot of Navajo all through this time usually each division of United States Marine Corps have at least 70 Navajo code talkers assigned to each division so whichever division is going to do the landing code talkers within that division provide that tops confidential messages message - you don't want the enemy to know goes through Navajo Network with every lender whether it's just one division landing two or three like on a world on three an evil three division each division has at least seventeen Navajo code talkers so you're talking about over 200 Navajo code talkers involved in that you were teaming Landy to provide that top secret confidential messages messages you don't want the enemy to know went through that network so on the island of iwo on the south so of course there's mas Suribachi most people familiar with that in the center is the airstrip on the north side there are some little hills beneath one of those hills a company of Marines was pinned down very badly there were being far down from three different directions mortar shells were being drop on them they were hunkering in their foxhole desperately can't move the commander of their company scribbled a message handed to the code talker that was covering the that particular unit for the frontline asked him to send that message to Peaks command post asking for help what did the Navajo code talkers do he got the message from the commander of that company written in English he then dialed another Navajo code talker down at their Beach command post and sent that message What did he say by the way this message said one tell you is the exact message that was sent on Iwo a copy of this message is Marinko Archives in Washington DC so if you happen to be in Washington DC go to the Marine Corps archive and look for this message that's going to tell you well the Navajo code talker got the message he sent it to Navajo code talker at a beach command house What did he say in Navajo he said the pair are now Archie P dot each car did not salsa country torsion pleat that saw ha ha straw not kick shush I know those of you those of you who are not neveress don't know what exactly what I'm talking about but let's say that that message what broadcast out to the Navajo people what did this Navajo code talkers say in Navajo asking for help here's exactly what he said in never hope sheep eyes nose deer destroyer teeth mouth turkey onion sick horse 3 6 to bear instead asking for help Sheba's nose deer sick horse what in the world is that never hoods don't know what he was talking about just a bunch of Navajo words but the code talker down at a peach command post as hitch Navajo words come through the air he writes it down in English what did he write down she was known sick horse no he wrote down sin demolition came to heal 3 6 to be that was the message that message navajo code took 20 seconds after 20 seconds the peach command post commander organized a rescue team to save that company Marines tanks with flamethrowers other heavy units was sent out there that's just one little example of how Navajo code was used and what it sounds like you can see that if your Navajo didn't go through that top secret Navajo coach school and memorized the code words you have no idea what we're talking about whatsoever it's a code military code a lot of people have the wrong understanding they think that somebody gives us a message and we read it and never to another neighborhood no that's not it's a code a military code top secret no one knows except us that's the way it worked Navajo code at an officer by the name of Major Connor with 5th Marine Division on the Iwo Jima moat wrote a report to his superior an in-depth report he said the first 48 hours of Iwo Jima landed over 800 messages were sent in Navajo code and he put it in parentheses without a mistake the first failure 48 hours on a war tree my landing this one division fifth Marine Division over 800 messages in Navajo code remember there are two other divisions 3rd and 4th they also have Navajo code talkers so we multiply 800 times 3 over 2,000 Navajo messages the first 48 hours on Iwo Jima land if you do Lilla men that means never hold code going through the air every minute non-stop for 48 hours nature Connor and his report to his superior by the way this report I'll tell you about is also in a Marine Corps archives if you go there and read it and tell exactly what I'm telling you he said in that report major Connor 5th Marine Division without Marines without Navajo code talkers rather without Navajo code talkers Marines would never have taken the island of iwo jima that's a lot coming from a Marine Corps officer because we Marines we always used to say just name an island we go get it for you there was a motto but mr. Connor said in his report no without Navajo code Marines would never have taken the island of Iwo Jima and matric honor has been in three other major invasions before Iwo Jima so he knows what he was talking about that's sort of a rundown of Navajo code talkers and what how it was why it was needed I was developed I was tested how it became an official noun States military code to be protected same way as all other military codes that were in existence every land well organized as I said Navajo code well when the war ended there were over 400 of us that were certified as Navajo code talkers today there's only nine of us still alive the oldest one is 90 70 years old he went in late 1942 his name Fleming became still alive 97 years old he was under battle of Tarawa very bad Island he survived that one the next Island he was involved in Saipan a bad one too he survived that one he was on the Isle of Tinian where he got shot up real badly so they flew him back to the United States San Francisco Naval Hospital where they put him back together there must have done a real good job because he still alive planet vacay well I I told you earlier that I joined marine when I was fifteen years old hard people asked me why did you do that I really don't know except around T snouts Pass area where I grew up I have a cousin who grew up right next to us they have their own herds the family we have our own but when our animals find a nice green pasture and set it down he now would get together and play race donkeys and horses and things like that he went in in 1943 and was involved in about two landings and they sent him home on a furlough he's about three years older than I am when he came home from Anna for lo he was wearing a beautiful Marine Corps uniform I said Tom how do I get one of those uniform he said join the Marines I said I want to do that so he looks at me he said how old are you I said I'm 15 he said I can't do that he got to be at least 17 to join the Marines well I said they don't know well he says whatever you do you got to tell him you're 17 years old so Tom and I went to Farmington New Mexico to a Marine Corps Recruiting Office I asked a recruiter I said I want to join the Marines he looks at me he says how old are you I'm 17 and he said where's your birth certificate October I don't have birth certificate spawn out in the boondocks no hospital no paperwork so he said well I can't let you go in unless somebody about for you that you're 17 years old I say here's my cousin this United States Marine so tom scientific work saying I'm 17 years old I think he was doing me a favor or something anyway he went back to trow in his unit that's how I joined United States Marines after Guam the next island to be invaded was Peleliu said earlier Peleliu is a very bad island they told us that Peleliu can be taken in four days with all the reconnaissance that was done on their particular island every landing they sign at least it doesn't Navajo code talkers to be with the first wave to hit the beach every landing that's how it was at least it doesn't Navajo code talkers to hit the beach first with the first wave well on september 15 1944 8:30 in the morning the sky was clear not a cloud in the sky temperature on the beach they tell us a hundred degrees at high noon the temperature climb up to a hundred and fifteen degrees 8:30 in the morning the first wave hit the beach as I said earlier they're always assigned at least it doesn't Navajo code talkers to hit the beach with the first wave in this instance my cousin tom was one of them assignment and we always work in pairs back in those days because it takes two to operate the communication radio equipment that we had TPX one of us would be care and generators to generate electricity to operate the transmitter and receiver this generator weighs about 30 pounds so in addition to all other stuff we carry with us rifle we also carry the radio the other guy carries the transmission and receiver along with their antennas and wires that also weighs about 30 pounds so it takes two to operate this one radio tbx so at that land Peleliu tom was paired up with another Navajo code talker from Shiprock New Mexico Jimmy King his name well 30 the first wave hit the beach and I always tell us when the landing craft hit the beach and the gate goes down you run lehel hit the deck and start crawling toward where the enemy fire is coming from and try to put it out well the first wave hit the beach all about 500 mm first wave units rush out of the landing craft Tom and Jimmy King took about twelve steps from the landing craft the beach out twelve steps from the landing craft the beach out machine gun far from the enemy open up on all of them machine gun fire went across Tom's neck his head fell off spotty fell forward blood not just time but hundreds of others along their beach I'm glad they don't show those in newsreel or anywhere because it's horrible you could hear all you could hear corpsman corpsman mother mother blood everywhere that's war war is ugly war is bad yet even to this day we sent our kids out and they current rifles and some country men and women why tom was a young man 19 years old at a low future ahead of him hundreds of thousands and the Pacific never made it back and on the other side in Europe the same way but we continued to send our kids why because we love this country because we cherish what this country means to us luck freedom and liberty we don't want our parents and relatives to be subjected to the ugliness of war that's why we're out there doing this I wish we could find a better way to find peace and harmony with one another without killing each other something to think about that's story of my cousin over it doesn't Navajo code talkers were killed in action never made it home on nor where several hundred thousand Marines Navy and Army and Air Force people about two dozen came home wounded life Lemmon became that's the story of Navajo code talkers the coat that we developed was so good that upon discharge from the United States Marine they told us don't tell anyone what you did because what you did is still top secret you wait until the code is Declassified the only thing we were told to say if people continue to ask us what we did in war just tell him you were radio man that's all so well we came home after discharge sure relatives all say hey what did return war and all that kind of stuff and all we say or can say is I was a radio man don't ask me any more question for 23 years after the war we couldn't tell anyone we finally forgot it lived alone it was not until 1968 twenty-three years after World War two ended that the Navajo code was Declassified as a military code and it was only after 1968 that we were allowed to talk about it of course by that time like I said we forgot all about it left it alone but then people start asking questions we see it on TV and newspapers people who can get as curious about it so we start recalling as a matter of fact around 1970 when we began to get a lot of questions from media newspaper people we organized ourselves Navajo code talker Association NACA VFW no so which there by that time by nineteen 68-69 there were at least over 300 of us still alive so we organized incorporated Navajo code talker Association and we started selecting what how shall we identify ourselves to show that we were code talkers they were suggested why not wear yellow shirt like this this is picture of me in the yellow shirt official Navajo code talker uniform that we adopted after 1968 red cap we're very proud to serve as non statesmen range talk or necklace representing sacred stone for Navajo khaki pants representing Mother Earth that we were defending code word for America was nickimja nickimja a Navajo means our mother that was the code word for America why do you know shirt well every one of us before we went overseas took corn pollen with us overseas like this in effect this is a small one from our carelessness personal use all the time but the one we took overseas was longer longer buckskin bed full of corn pollen blessed by Navajo medicine man telling us that when are you ever get in it to a real tough situation take this corn pollen make an offering asking for help and protection so well we're going to a landing retire this to our dog tag and when we get into a real tough situation down in a foxhole with bullets flying 5 to 10 inches overhead water shells mean drop everywhere you don't know whether you're gonna be there for another minute or so we untie this from our dog tag take a pinch of it put in our tongue take another pinch on top of our head take a little bit more make an offering asking for help and protection of course down in their foxhole there's always two of us Navajo Network guy the English Network got a blonde haired kid he's down there with us he would do this hey chief what no where are you doing I'm asking for help and protection he would say may I have some so he took some too that's what the yellow shirt represent the corn pollen that we took overseas with us of course the red cap as I said represents Marines we were proud to serve as United States Marines I have this cart in the back of it as a story about Peter McDonald's my hair and also a picture of me right after boot camp 15 years old on the other side another picture of me and another code talker this picture was taken right after we secured the island of Guam 16 years old this was taken four years ago 86 years old I have this card for all of you I hope I brought enough for each one of you as a souvenir and remember it's the story you receive about what Navajo code talkers were all about from an actual one at the nine surviving Navajo talkers so I'll have this out here for you and you can take it home and put it on your wall I also have a book here and they were over here to call never hold weapon why never hold weapon because we believe Navajo code was a weapon a very lethal weapon that was used to help win the war in the Pacific save hundreds of thousands of lives this book there are several over a dozen books out there on Navajo code talkers they're all very good but this one I like because it tells you a lot more even with them what I told you here they're all in here by some of the code talkers were taken prison particularly during the early part of the war Guadalcanal welcome to blk cluster in this early part not by an enemy but by United States Marines why because when you're out there in the front line everybody's jumping so they see someone that's a dark-skinned when Marine Corps unit uniform they think said Japanese masquerading as a Marine so they stick a bayonet on a back of a code talker and say okay what's the password should we tell him the password everything you answered a question but you don't tell him you're a code talker because it's top secret they say well that's cause that's what they all say so they take her down to the prison camp where they keep the Japanese prisoner they strip you completely and you tell them we always have real battle we always report to a colonel so we tell this Murray guards that taking care of the prisoners we talked to this particular colonel and a radio Colonel comes down identifies us choose out the two plastic brother Sarah don't you guys ever do that again if you do that again I won't put you guys in here eventually Marine Corps got smart they signed a blonde haired kid to be with us at all time so we're not gonna be taking prisoners anymore that's all in here a lot more the nine of us that still alive we also learn something that every year we lose three Navajo code talkers last year this time there were 12 of us to date there's only nine next year for sure does only can be six of us very shortly there's come pino more Navajo code talkers that actually were out in the Pacific so but yet people have began to have more and more interest what did you guys do how to do it how did it work all those kind of questions we even get inquiries from overseas so we decided that this you need legacy of World War two need to be preserved of course we cannot gonna be here very long and tell people like your folks what happened but we want to build a museum national Navajo code talker museum so there once we are gone at least this museum would be there to tell the story of what the Navajo code talkers were all about why the coat was needed how it was developed how was tested how it became official military code how it was using every pen and why the code remain top secret for 23 years after the war ended all that story need to be told Plus each landing there's all kinds of happenings with the code talkers that need to be told more importantly what we did and truly represents who we are as Americans see America we all know is comprised of a diverse community different skills different talents different languages different nationalities different everything that's America so what we did as Navajo code talkers truly represents that we want to preserve it for our kids for your kids for our grandkids for your grandkids so that when we are all gone our children our grandkids in the future generation can go through at Navajo code talker and museum and learn all about who we are as American and that as diverse as we are when our way of life is threatened we all come together as one using the different skill talents and languages whatever it is that we have we become one and when we become one we are invincible we cannot be defeated that's why we would like to have our kids our grandkids your kids your grandkids to go through that museum after we are gone and continue that spirit that has so even though we are diverse we can use those diversity to our vanish to maintain those things that we cherish in America things that reason lot to us things that we cherish not freedom and liberty that's what the museum is going to bring to our children so we've been going out six of the code talkers they're still alive can't get out anymore they're confined to their home can't get out only three of us can get around happy three I'm the youngest so I think I've got there Samet to go here and there but it's really a lot of work telling people that we need a museum America needs to snappa HoCo talk of museum as a matter of fact this last November three of us never Hall code talkers were invited to the White House to honor that Navajo code talkers for what the code talkers did in World War two President Trump asked us to come to be honored we were there and I spoke with the president face to face told him to me use them he said wonderful that needs to be done we have lots of money we can help you fill this year Zim I was very glad and thankful but that was last November I have yet to see some money come out but I don't give up that easy so I'm still expecting I've been talking to have members of Congress and some of their congressmen senators from Arizona New Mexico all agreed that they're going to sponsor a bill to help us build this national Navajo code talker Museum for all America that's where we are and it takes a lot of time and money to promote this use then Rick Oh Chevron Oil Company donated 245 acres of private land they gave us the title to there 245 acres of land so we know Navajo code talkers the nine of us own 245 acres of a prime land given to us by Chevron I knew a good highway goes right through it we have the land where some architects looking at or helping us but we still need money so we have rich uncle out there somewhere tell them we got museum to build this I can have no charge this one you have to pay a little money and my daughter charity will be here to sell it to you and I'll be happy to sign it autograph it to you and I'll he'll tell you a lot more most importantly what I find about this book that I like is that a hazel most of the 600 600 code words that we use are all in here remember the code word for the letter J it's in here so my suggestion is specially you who are going to screw I'm sure your parents wouldn't mind spending the money to boy one more book learn to code words so sometimes you're outside talk to each other and Navajo code no one would know unless your professor has a book to what you're talking about also those of you who are not going to school you can buy this book and in the privacy of your own home learn to code words and I'll include my business card in here it has my email on it so when you get home when you memorize the code words you email me in Navajo code only you and I would know what we're talking about all these scammers can now prick the Navajo I could also add the names of all the code talkers were certified right under my cousin tongue kie thank you very much [Applause] [Music] [Music] I wanna be Sheriff I think if you're servicing news they're gonna take a picture then we're gonna jump in good luck I know you're doing a good job they give this [Music] you

Channel: Azusa Pacific University - Lectures

Views: 25,019

Rating: 4.9055119 out of 5

Keywords: APU, Lectures, Azusa, Azusa Pacific, Azusa Pacific University, Navajo Code Talker, Navajo Weapon, WWII, U.S. Marine Corps, University Libraries, Peter MacDonald

Id: juyJaTfpc0E

Length: 95min 8sec (5708 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 18 2018