THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
1942 - 1945
Fourth Edition
An Anthology Compiled By:
Major Paul L. Stokes USMC, Retired
3 March 2008
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THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
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THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
Foreward
Greetings Lad,
On 17 May 2007, I had the privilege of attending the dedication ceremony of "Code
Talkers Hall"; which is the name that was given to the brand new Marine Corps
Network Operations and Security Command (MCNOSC) facility at Marine Corps Base,
Quantico, Virginia.
Code Talkers Hall is a highly appropriate name for the MCNOSCs' new venue because
its' 21st Century mission of protecting the security of the Marine Corps Enterprise
Network (MCEN) is just as critical as The Code Talkers mission of defending the Marine
Corps Tactical Voice Radio & Wire Communications Nets from enemy interception &
exploitation throughout the Pacific Campaigns of World War II.
Finding themselves in a situation similar to The Montford Point Marines, The Code
Talkers had to overcome many obstacles to "create from scratch" a code that would
prove to be unbreakable as well as demonstrate to our Great Nation that they were
worthy of the title of “United States Marine”.
This is their story.
Lest We Forget,
Paul L. Stokes
Major USMC, Retired
Deputy Director for Operations
Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
29 Palms, California
30 May 2007
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THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
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THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
Table of Contents
Navajo Code Talkers in World War II;
History Division, Headquarters, US Marine Corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Navajo Code Talkers: World War II Fact Sheet;
Research by Alexander Molnar Jr., U.S. Marine Corps/U.S. Army (Ret.) . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Navajo Code Talker's Dictionary;
U.S. Navy History Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Marine Hymn in The Code;
By Jimmy King, a Navajo Instructor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Navajo Code Talkers
By TSgt Murrey Marder USMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
CG, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet Ltr dtd 6 March 1942;
Subject: Enlistment of Navaho Indians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Code Talkers Hall Dedication Ceremony Program & Welcome Letter
dtd 17 May 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Biography of Colonel Eric L. Rolaf USMC, Commanding Officer,
Marine Corps Network Operations and Security Command . . . . . . . . . . 45
Biography of Master Gunnery Sergeant Walter J. Burgess USMC,
Senior Enlisted Advisor, Marine Corps Network Operations and
Security Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Photograph of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
General Peter Pace USMC, Meeting with Five Navajo Code Talkers
at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia on 10 August 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Code Talker:
Marines Magazine, Volume 36, Number 2, October-November-December 2007 . . . . . . . 51
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THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
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THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
Navajo Code Talkers in World War II
By the History Division, United States Marine Corps
The Marine Corps’ Navajo Code Talker Program was established in September 1942 as the
result of a recommendation made the previous February by Mr. Philip Johnston to Major
General Clayton B. Vogel, USMC, Commanding General, Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet,
whose headquarters was at Camp Elliott, California. Mr. Johnston, the son of a missionary to
the Navajo tribe, was fluent in the language, having lived among the Navajos for 24 years. He
believed that the use by the Marine Corps of Navajo as a code language in voice (radio and
wire) transmission could guarantee communications security.
Mr. Johnston’s rationale for this belief was that Navajo is an unwritten language and
completely unintelligible to anyone except another Navajo and that it is a rich, fluent language
for which code words, in Navajo, could be devised for specialized military terms, such as the
Navajo word for “turtle” to represent a tank. With the cooperation of four Navajos residing in
the Los Angeles area, and another who was already on active naval service in San Diego, Mr.
Johnston presented a demonstration of his theory to General Vogel and his staff at Camp
Elliott on 28 February 1942. Marine staff officers composed simulated field combat messages
which were handed to a Navajo, who then translated it into tribal dialect and transmitted it to
another Navajo on the other end of the line. The second Indian then translated it back into
perfect English and in the same form which had been provided originally. The demonstration
proved entirely successful, and as a result, General Vogel recommended the recruitment into
the Marine Corps of at least 200 Navajos for the code talker program. As a footnote, tests in
the Pacific under combat conditions proved that classified messages could be translated into
Navajo, transmitted, received, and translated back into English quicker than messages which
were encoded, transmitted, and decoded employing conventional cryptographic facilities and
techniques.
With the Commandant’s approval, recruitment began in May 1942. Each Navajo recruit
underwent basic boot camp training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego before
assignment to the Field Signal Battalion, Training Center at Camp Pendleton. It should be
noted that, at the outset, the entire Navajo code talker project was highly classified and there is
no indication that any message traffic in the Navajo language- - while undoubtedly intercepted
- - was ever deciphered.
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THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
Initially, the course at Camp Pendleton
consisted of training in basic communications
procedures and equipment. At the same time,
the 29 Navajos comprising the first group
recruited devised Navajo words for military
terms which were not part of their language.
Alternate terms were provided in the code for
letters frequently repeated in the English
language. To compound the difficulty of the
program, all code talkers had to memorize
both the primary and alternate code terms, for
while much of the basic material was printed
for use in training, the utmost observance of
security precautions curtailed the use of the
printed material in a combat situation.
Once the code talkers completed training in the States,
they were sent to the Pacific for assignment to the
Marine combat divisions. In May 1943, in response to a
request for a report on the subject, the various division
commanders reported to the Commandant that
excellent results had been achieved to date in the
employment of Navajo code talkers in training and
combat situations, and that they had performed in a
highly commendable fashion. This high degree of
praise concerning the Navajos’ performances prevailed
throughout the war and came from commanders at all
levels.
Although recruitment of the Navajos was comparatively slow at the time the program was first
established, Marine recruiting teams were sent to the Navajo territory and a central recruitment
office was set up at Fort Wingate, New Mexico. By August 1943, a total of 191 Navajos had
joined the Marine Corps for this specific program. Estimates have placed the total number of
Navajos in the code talker program variously between 37 and 420 individuals. It is known that
many more Navajos volunteered to become code talkers than could be accepted; however, an
undetermined number of other Navajos served as Marines, in the war, but not as code talkers.
8
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
The unique achievements of the Navajo
Code Talkers constitute a proud chapter in
the history of the United States Marine
Corps. Their patriotism, resourcefulness,
and courage have earned them the gratitude
of all Americans
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THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
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THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
Navajo Code Talkers: World War II Fact Sheet
Research by Alexander Molnar Jr., U.S. Marine Corps/U.S. Army (Ret.)
Prepared by the Navy & Marine Corps WWII Commemorative Committee
Related resources:
American Indian Medal of Honor Winners
Navajo Code Talkers in World War II: A Bibliography
Navajo Code Talker Dictionary
Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, Iwo Jima: the Navajo code talkers took part in every
assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. They served in all
six Marine divisions, Marine Raider battalions and Marine parachute units, transmitting
messages by telephone and radio in their native language -- a code that the Japanese
never broke.
The idea to use Navajo for secure communications came from Philip Johnston, the son
of a missionary to the Navajos and one of the few non-Navajos who spoke their
language fluently. Johnston, reared on the Navajo reservation, was a World War I
veteran who knew of the military's search for a code that would withstand all attempts
to decipher it. He also knew that Native American languages--notably Choctaw--had
been used in World War I to encode messages.
Johnston believed Navajo answered the military requirement for an undecipherable
code because Navajo is an unwritten language of extreme complexity. Its syntax and
tonal qualities, not to mention dialects, make it unintelligible to anyone without
extensive exposure and training. It has no alphabet or symbols, and is spoken only on
the Navajo lands of the American Southwest. One estimate indicates that less than 30
non-Navajos, none of them Japanese, could understand the language at the outbreak of
World War II.
Early in 1942, Johnston met with Major General Clayton B. Vogel, the commanding
general of Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet, and his staff to convince them of the
Navajo language's value as code. Johnston staged tests under simulated combat
conditions, demonstrating that Navajos could encode, transmit, and decode a three-line
English message in 20 seconds. Machines of the time required 30 minutes to perform
the same job. Convinced, Vogel recommended to the Commandant of the Marine Corps
that the Marines recruit 200 Navajos.
In May 1942, the first 29 Navajo recruits attended boot camp. Then, at Camp Pendleton,
Oceanside, California, this first group created the Navajo code. They developed a
dictionary and numerous words for military terms. The dictionary and all code words
had to be memorized during training.
11
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
Once a Navajo code talker completed his training, he was sent to a Marine unit
deployed in the Pacific theater. The code talkers' primary job was to talk, transmitting
information on tactics and troop movements, orders and other vital battlefield
communications over telephones and radios. They also acted as messengers, and
performed general Marine duties.
Praise for their skill, speed and accuracy accrued throughout the war. At Iwo Jima,
Major Howard Connor, 5th Marine Division signal officer, declared, "Were it not for
the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima." Connor had six Navajo
code talkers working around the clock during the first two days of the battle. Those six
sent and received over 800 messages, all without error.
The Japanese, who were skilled code breakers, remained baffled by the Navajo
language. The Japanese chief of intelligence, Lieutenant General Seizo Arisue, said that
while they were able to decipher the codes used by the U.S. Army and Army Air Corps,
they never cracked the code used by the Marines. The Navajo code talkers even
stymied a Navajo soldier taken prisoner at Bataan. (About 20 Navajos served in the U.S.
Army in the Philippines.) The Navajo soldier, forced to listen to the jumbled words of
talker transmissions, said to a code talker after the war, "I never figured out what you
guys who got me into all that trouble were saying."
In 1942, there were about 50,000 Navajo tribe members. As of 1945, about 540
Navajos served as Marines. From 375 to 420 of those trained as code talkers; the rest
served in other capacities.
Navajo remained potentially valuable as code even after the war. For that reason, the
code talkers, whose skill and courage saved both American lives and military
engagements, only recently earned recognition from the Government and the public.
12
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
The Navajo Code Talker's Dictionary
Downloaded From The U.S. Navy History Website
When a Navajo code talker received a message, what he heard was a string of
seemingly unrelated Navajo words. The code talker first had to translate each Navajo
word into its English equivalent. Then he used only the first letter of the English
equivalent in spelling an English word. Thus, the Navajo words "wol-la-chee" (ant),
"be-la-sana" (apple) and "tse-nill" (axe) all stood for the letter "a." One way to say the
word "Navy" in Navajo code would be "tsah (needle) wol-la-chee (ant) ah-keh-di- glini
(victor) tsah-ah-dzoh (yucca)."
Most letters had more than one Navajo word representing them. Not all words had to be
spelled out letter by letter. The developers of the original code assigned Navajo words
to represent about 450 frequently used military terms that did not exist in the Navajo
language. Several examples: "besh- lo" (iron fish) meant "submarine," "dah-he- tih-hi"
(hummingbird) meant "fighter plane" and "debeh-li-zine" (black street) meant "squad."
Department of Defense Honors Navajo Veterans
Long unrecognized because of the continued value of their language as a security
classified code, the Navajo code talkers of World War II were honored for their
contributions to defense on Sept. 17, 1992, at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Thirty-five code talkers, all veterans of the U.S. Marine Corps, attended the dedication
of the Navajo code talker exhibit. The exhibit includes a display of photographs,
equipment and the original code, along with an explanation of how the code worked.
Dedication ceremonies included speeches by the then-Deputy Secretary of Defense
Donald Atwood, U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona and Navajo President Peterson
Zah. The Navajo veterans and their families traveled to the ceremony from their homes
on the Navajo Reservation, which includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The Navajo code talker exhibit is a regular stop on the Pentagon tour.
12 August 1997
13
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
Navajo Code Talkers' Dictionary
REVISED AS OF 15 JUNE 1945
(DECLASSIFIED UNDER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DIRECTIVE 5200.9)
ALPHABET
A
A
A
B
B
B
C
C
C
D
D
D
E
E
E
F
F
F
G
G
G
H
H
H
I
I
I
J
J
J
K
K
K
L
L
L
M
M
M
N
N
O
O
O
P
P
P
Q
R
NAVAJO WORD
WOL-LA-CHEE
BE-LA-SANA
TSE-NILL
NA-HASH-CHID
SHUSH
TOISH-JEH
MOASI
TLA-GIN
BA-GOSHI
BE
CHINDI
LHA-CHA-EH
AH-JAH
DZEH
AH-NAH
CHUO
TSA-E-DONIN-EE
MA-E
AH-TAD
KLIZZIE
JEHA
TSE-GAH
CHA
LIN
TKIN
YEH-HES
A-CHI
TKELE-CHO-G
AH-YA-TSINNE
YIL-DOI
JAD-HO-LONI
BA-AH-NE-DI-TININ
KLIZZIE-YAZZIE
DIBEH-YAZZIE
AH-JAD
NASH-DOIE-TSO
TSIN-TLITI
BE-TAS-TNI
NA-AS-TSO-SI
TSAH
A-CHIN
A-KHA
TLO-CHIN
NE-AHS-JAH
CLA-GI-AIH
BI-SO-DIH
NE-ZHONI
CA-YEILTH
GAH
LITERAL TRANSLATION
ANT
APPLE
AXE
BADGER
BEAR
BARREL
CAT
COAL
COW
DEER
DEVIL
DOG
EAR
ELK
EYE
FIR
FLY
FOX
GIRL
GOAT
GUM
HAIR
HAT
HORSE
ICE
ITCH
INTESTINE
JACKASS
JAW
JERK
KETTLE
KEY
KID
LAMB
LEG
LION
MATCH
MIRROR
MOUSE
NEEDLE
NOSE
OIL
ONION
OWL
PANT
PIG
PRETTY
QUIVER
RABBIT
14
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
R
R
S
S
T
T
T
U
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
DAH-NES-TSA
AH-LOSZ
DIBEH
KLESH
D-AH
A-WOH
THAN-ZIE
SHI-DA
NO-DA-IH
A-KEH-DI-GLINI
GLOE-IH
AL-NA-AS-DZOH
TSAH-AS-ZIH
BESH-DO-TLIZ
RAM
RICE
SHEEP
SNAKE
TEA
TOOTH
TURKEY
UNCLE
UTE
VICTOR
WEASEL
CROSS
YUCCA
ZINC
NAMES OF VARIOUS
ORGANIZATIONS
CORPS
DIVISION
REGIMENT
BATTALION
COMPANY
PLATOON
SECTION
SQUAD
NAVAJO WORD
DIN-NEH-IH
ASHIH-HI
TABAHA
TACHEENE
NAKIA
HAS-CLISH-NIH
YO-IH
DEBEH-LI-ZINI
LITERAL TRANSLATION
CLAN
SALT
EDGE WATER
RED SOIL
MEXICAN
MUD
BEADS
BLACK SHEEP
OFFICERS
COMMANDING GEN. BIH-KEH-HE (G)
MAJOR GEN.
SO-NA-KIH
BRIGADIER GEN.
SO-A-LA-IH
COLONEL
ATSAH-BESH-LE-GAI
LT. COLONEL
CHE-CHIL-BE-TAH-BESH-LEGAI
MAJOR
CHE-CHIL-BE-TAH-OLA
CAPTAIN
BESH-LEGAI-NAH-KIH
LIEUTENANT
BESH-LEGAI-A-LAH-IH
COMMANDING OFFICER HASH-KAY-GI-NA-TAH
EXECUTIVE OFFICER BIH-DA-HOL-NEHI
WAR CHIEF
TWO STAR
ONE STAR
SILVER EAGLE
SILVER OAK LEAF
GOLD OAK LEAF
TWO SILVER BARS
ONE SILVER BAR
WAR CHIEF
THOSE IN CHARGE
NAMES OF COUNTRIES
AFRICA
ZHIN-NI
ALASKA
BEH-HGA
AMERICA
NE-HE-MAH
AUSTRALIA
CHA-YES-DESI
BRITAIN
TOH-TA
CHINA
CEH-YEHS-BESI
FRANCE
DA-GHA-HI
GERMANY
BESH-BE-CHA-HE
ICELAND
TKIN-KE-YAH
INDIA
AH-LE-GAI
ITALY
DOH-HA-CHI-YALI-TCHI
JAPAN
BEH-NA-ALI-TSOSIE
PHILIPPINE
KE-YAH-DA-NA-LHE
RUSSIA
SILA-GOL-CHI-IH
SOUTH AMERICA
SHA-DE-AH-NE-HI-MAH
SPAIN
DEBA-DE-NIH
BLACKIES
WITH WINTER
OUR MOTHER
ROLLED HAT
BETWEEN WATERS
BRAIDED HAIR
BEARD
IRON HAT
ICE LAND
WHITE CLOTHES
STUTTER
SLANT EYE
FLOATING ISLAND
RED ARMY
SOUTH OUR MOTHER
SHEEP PAIN
15
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
NAMES OF AIRPLANES
PLANES
WO-TAH-DE-NE-IH
DIVE BOMBER
GINI
TORPEDO PLANE
TAS-CHIZZIE
OBS. PLAN
NE-AS-JAH
FIGHTER PLANE
DA-HE-TIH-HI
BOMBER PLANE
JAY-SHO
PATROL PLANE
GA-GIH
TRANSPORT
ATSAH
AIR FORCE
CHICKEN HAWK
SWALLOW
OWL
HUMMING BIRD
BUZZARD
CROW
EAGLE
NAMES OF SHIPS
SHIPS
BATTLESHIP
AIRCRAFT
SUBMARINE
MINE SWEEPER
DESTROYER
TRANSPORT
CRUISER
MOSQUITO BOAT
TOH-DINEH-IH
LO-TSO
TSIDI-MOFFA-YE-HI
BESH-LO
CHA
CA-LO
DINEH-NAY-YE-HI
LO-TSO-YAZZIE
TSE-E
SEA FORCE
WHALE
BIRD CARRIER
IRON FISH
BEAVER
SHARK
MAN CARRIER
SMALL WHALE
MOSQUITO
NAMES OF MONTHS
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
ATSAH-BE-YAZ
WOZ-CHEIND
TAH-CHILL
TAH-TSO
TAH-TSOSIE
BE-NE-EH-EH-JAH-TSO
BE-NE-TA-TSOSIE
BE-NEEN-TA-TSO
GHAW-JIH
NIL-CHI-TSOSIE
NIL-CHI-TSO
YAS-NIL-TES
SMALL EAGLE
SQUEEKY VOICE
SMALL PLANT
BIG PLANT
SMALL PLANT
BIG PLANTING
SMALL HARVEST
BIG HARVEST
HALF
SMALL WIND
BIG WIND
CRUSTED SNOW
VOCABULARY
WORD
ABANDON
ABOUT
ABREAST
ACCOMPLISH
ACCORDING
ACKNOWLEDGE
ACTION
ACTIVITY
ADEQUATE
ADDITION
ADDRESS
ADJACENT
ADJUST
ADVANCE
ADVISE
AERIAL
AFFIRMATIVE
AFTER
AGAINST
AID
NAVAJO
YE-TSAN
WOLA-CHI-A-MOFFA-GAHN
WOLA-CHEE-BE-YIED
UL-SO
BE-KA-HO
HANOT-DZIED
AH-HA-TINH
AH-HA-TINH-Y
BEH-GHA
IH-HE-DE-NDEL
YI-CHIN-HA-TSE
BE-GAHI
HAS-TAI-NEL-KAD
NAS-SEY
NA-NETIN
BE-ZONZ
LANH
BI-KHA-DI (A)
BE-NA-GNISH
EDA-ELE-TSOOD
LITERAL TRANSACTION
RUN AWAY FROM
ANT FIGHT
ANT BREAST
ALL DONE
ACCORDING TO
ACKNOWLEDGE
PLACE OF ACTION
ACTION ENDING IN Y
ENOUGH
ADDITION
ADDRESS
NEAR
ADJUST
AHEAD
ADVISE
STINGER
AFFIRMATIVE
AFTER
AGAINST
AID
16
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
AIR
NILCHI
AIRDOME
NILCHI-BEGHAN
ALERT
HA-IH-DES-EE
ALL
TA-A-TAH (A)
ALLIES
NIH-HI-CHO
ALONG
WOLACHEE-SNEZ
ALSO
EH-DO
ALTERNATE
NA-KEE-GO-NE-NAN-DEY-HE
AMBUSH
KHAC-DA
AMMUNITION BEH-ELI-DOH-BE-CAH-ALI-TAS-AI
AMPHIBIOUS
CHAL
AND
DO
ANGLE
DEE-CAHN
ANNEX
IH-NAY-TANI
ANNOUNCE
BEH-HA-O-DZE
ANTI
WOL-LA-CHEE-TSIN
ANTICIPATE
NI-JOL-LIH
ANY
TAH-HA-DAH
APPEAR
YE-KA-HA-YA
APPROACH
BI-CHI-OL-DAH
APPROXIMATE
TO-KUS-DAN
ARE
GAH-TSO BIG
AREA
HAZ-A-GIH
ARMOR
BESH-YE-HA-DA-DI-TEH
ARMY
LEI-CHA-IH-YIL-KNEE-IH
ARRIVE
IL-DAY
ARTILLERY
BE-AL-DOH-TSO-LANI
AS
AHCE
ASSAULT
ALTSEH-E-JAH-HE
ASSEMBLE
DE-JI-KASH
ASSIGN
BAH-DEH-TAHN
AT
AH-DI
ATTACK
AL-TAH-JE-JAY
ATTEMPT
BO-O-NE-TAH (A)
ATTENTION
GIHA
AUTHENTICATOR
HANI-BA-AH-HO-ZIN
AUTHORIZE
BE-BO-HO-SNEE
AVAILABLE
TA-SHOZ-TEH-IH
AIR
AIRDOME
ALERT
ALL
ALLIES
LONG ANT
ALSO
SECOND POSITION
AMBUSH
AMMUNITION
FROG
AND
SLANTING
ADDITION
ANNOUNCE
ANT ICE
ANTICIPATE
ANY
APPEAR
APPROACH
APPROXIMATE
RABBIT
AREA
IRON PROTECTOR
ARMY
ARRIVE
MANY BIG GUNS
AS
FIRST STRIKER
BUNCH TOGETHER
ASSIGN
AT
ATTACK
TRY
ATTENTION
KNOW ABOUT
AUTHORIZE
AVAILABLE
BAGGAGE
BANZAI
BARGE
BARRAGE
BARRIER
BASE
BATTERY
BATTLE
BAY
BAZOOKA
BE
BEACH
BEEN
BEFORE
BEGIN
BELONG
BETWEEN
BEYOND
BAGGAGE
FOOL THEM
BARGE
BARRAGE
IN THE WAY
BASE
THREE GUNS
BATTLE
BAY
BAZOOKA
BEE
BEACH
BEE NUT
BEFORE
COMMENCE FROM
LONG BEE
BETWEEN
DOWN BELOW
KLAILH (B)
NE-TAH
BESH-NA-ELT
BESH-BA-WA-CHIND
BIH-CHAN-NI-AH
BIH-TSEE-DIH
BIH-BE-AL-DOH-TKA-IH
DA-AH-HI-DZI-TSIO
TOH-AH-HI-GHINH
AH-ZHOL
TSES-NAH
TAH-BAHN (B)
TSES-NAH-NES-CHEE
BIH-TSE-DIH
HA-HOL-ZIZ
TSES-NAH-SNEZ
BI-TAH-KIZ
BILH-LA DI
17
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
BIVOUAC
BOMB
BOOBY TRAP
BORNE
BOUNDARY
BULL DOZER
BUNKER
BUT
BY
EHL-NAS-TEH
A-YE-SHI
DINEH-BA-WHOA-BLEHI
YE-CHIE-TSAH
KA-YAH-BI-NA-HAS-DZOH(B)
DOLA-ALTH-WHOSH
TSAS-KA
NEH-DIH
BE-GHA
CABLE
BESH-LKOH
CALIBER
NAHL-KIHD
CAMP
TO-ALTSEH-HOGAN
CAMOUFLAGE
DI-NES-IH
CAN
YAH-DI-ZINI
CANNONEER BE-AL-DOH-TSO-DEY-DIL-DON-IGI
CAPACITY
BE-NEL-AH
CAPTURE
YIS-NAH
CARRY
YO-LAILH
CASE
BIT-SAH
CASUALTY
BIH-DIN-NE-DEY
CAUSE
BI-NIH-NANI
CAVE
TSA-OND
CEILING
DA-TEL-JAY
CEMETARY
JISH-CHA
CENTER
ULH-NE-IH
CHANGE
THLA-GO-A-NAT-ZAH
CHANNEL
HA-TALHI-YAZZIE
CHARGE
AH-TAH-GI-JAH
CHEMICAL
TA-NEE
CIRCLE
NAS-PAS
CIRCUIT
AH-HEH-HA-DAILH
CLASS
ALTH-AH-A-TEH
CLEAR
YO-AH-HOL-ZHOD
CLIFF
TSE-YE-CHEE
CLOSE
UL-CHI-UH-NAL-YAH
COAST GUARD
TA-BAS-DSISSI
CODE
YIL-TAS
COLON
NAKI-ALH--DEH-DA-AL-ZHIN
COLUMN
ALTH-KAY-NE-ZIH
COMBAT
DA-AH-HI-JIH-GANH
COMBINATION
AL-TKAS-EI
COME
HUC-QUO
COMMA
TSA-NA-DAHL
COMMERCIAL
NAI-EL-NE-HI
COMMIT
HUC-QUO-LA-JISH
COMMUNICATION
HA-NEH-AL-ENJI
CONCEAL
BE-KI-ASZ-JOLE
CONCENTRATION
TA-LA-HI-JIH
CONCUSSION
WHE-HUS-DIL
CONDITION
AH-HO-TAI
CONFERENCE
BE-KE-YA-TI
CONFIDENTIAL
NA-NIL-IN
CONFIRM
TA-A-NEH
CONQUER
A-KEH-DES-DLIN
CONSIDER
NE-TSA-CAS
CONSIST
BILH (C)
18
BRUSH SHELTER
EGGS
MAN TRAP
BORN ELK
BOUNDARY
BULL SLEEP
SANDY HOLLOW
BUT
BY
WIRE ROPE
MOVE AROUND
TEMPORARY PLACE
HID
CAN
BIG GUN OPERATOR
CAPACITY
CAPTURE
CARRY
CASE
PUT OUT OF ACTION
CAUSE
ROCK CAVE
SEAL
AMONG DEVILS
CENTER
CHANGE
SMALL SINGER
CHARGE
ALKALI
CIRCLE
CIRCUIT
CLASS
CLEAR
CLIFF
CLOSE
SHORE RUNNER
PECK
TWO SPOTS
COLUMN
FIGHTING
MIXED
COME
TAIL DROP
COMMERCIAL
COME GLOVE
MAKING TALK
CONCEAL
ONE PLACE
CONCUSSION
HOW IT IS
TALK OVER
KEPT SECRET
MAKE SURE
WON
THINK IT OVER
CONSIST
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
CONSOLIDATE
CONSTRUCT
CONTACT
CONTINUE
CONTROL
CONVOY
COORDINATE
COUNTER ATTACK
COURSE
CRAFT
CREEK
CROSS
CUB
AH-HIH-HI-NIL
AHL-NEH
AH-HI-DI-DAIL
TA-YI-TEH
NAI-GHIZ
TKAL-KAH-O-NEL
BEH-EH-HO-ZIN-NA-AS-DZOH
WOLTAH-AL-KI-GI-JEH
CO-JI-GOH
AH-TOH
TOH-NIL-TSANH
AL-N-AS-DZOH
SHUSH-YAHZ
PUT TOGETHER
TO MAKE
COME TOGETHER
CONTINUE
CONTROL
MOVING ON WATER
KNOWN LINES
COUNTER ACT
COURSE
NEST
VERY LITTLE WATER
CROSS
CUB
DASH
DAWN
DEFENSE
DEGREE
DELAY
DELIVER
DEMOLITION
DENSE
DEPART
DEPARTMENT
DESIGNATE
DESPERATE
DETACH
DETAIL
DETONATOR
DIFFICULT
DIG IN
DIRECT
DISEMBARK
DISPATCH
DISPLACE
DISPLAY
DISPOSITION
DISTRIBUTE
DISTRICT
DO
DOCUMENT
DRIVE
DUD
DUMMY
US-DZOH
HA-YELI-KAHN
AH-KIN-CIL-TOH
NAHL-KIHD
BE-SITIHN
BE-BIH-ZIHDE
AH-DEEL-TAHI
HO-DILH-CLA (D)
DA-DE-YAH
HOGAN
YE-KHI-DEL-NEI
AH-DA-AH-HO-DZAH
AL-CHA-NIL
BE-BEH-SHA
AH-DEEL-TAHI (OR)
NA-NE-KLAH
LE-EH-GADE
AH-JI-GO
EH-HA-JAY
LA-CHAI-EN-SEIS-BE-JAY
HIH-DO-NAL
BE-SEIS-NA-NEH
A-HO-TEY
NAH-NEH
BE-THIN-YA-NI-CHE
TSE-LE
BEH-EH-HO-ZINZ
AH-NOL-KAHL
DI-GISS-YAHZIE
DI-GISS-TSO
DASH
DAWN
DEFENSE
DEGREE
DEER LAY
DEER LIVER
BLOW UP
WET
DEPART
DEPARTMENT
POINT OUT
DOWN TO LAST
DETACHED
DEER TAIL
BLOWN UP
DIFFICULT
DIG IN
DIRECT
GET OUT
DOG IS PATCH
MOVE
DEER IS PLAY
DISPOSITION
DISTRIBUTE
DEER ICE STRICT
SMALL PUP
DOCUMENT
DRIVE
SMALL DUMMY
BIG DUMMY
EACH
ECHELON
EDGE
EFFECTIVE
EFFORT
ELEMENT
ELEVATE
ELIMINATE
EMBARK
EMERGENCY
EMPLACEMENT
ENCIRCLE
TA-LAHI-NE-ZINI-GO (D)
WHO-DZAH
BE-BA-HI
BE-DELH-NEED
YEA-GO
AH-NA-NAI
ALI-KHI-HO-NE-OHA
HA-BEH-TO-DZIL
EH-HO-JAY
HO-NEZ-CLA
LA-AZ-NIL
YE-NAS-TEH (E)
EACH
LINE
EDGE
EFFECTIVE
WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT
TROOP REPRESENTING OTHERS
ELEVATE
ELIMINATE
GET ON
EMERGENCY
EMPLACEMENT
ENCIRCLE
19
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
ENCOUNTER
ENGAGE
ENGINE
ENGINEER
ENLARGE
ENLIST
ENTIRE
ENTRENCH
ENVELOP
EQUIPMENT
ERECT
ESCAPE
ESTABLISH
ESTIMATE
EVACUATE
EXCEPT
EXCEPT
EXCHANGE
EXECUTE
EXPLOSIVE
EXPEDITE
EXTEND
EXTREME
BI-KHANH
A-HA-NE-HO-TA
CHIDI-BI-TSI-TSINE (E)
DAY-DIL-JAH-HE
NIH-TSA-GOH-AL-NEH
BIH-ZIH-A-DA-YI-LAH
TA-A-TAH (E)
E-GAD-AH-NE-LIH
A-ZAH-GI-YA
YA-HA-DE-TAHI
YEH-ZIHN
A-ZEH-HA-GE-YAH
HAS-TAY-DZAH
BIH-KE-TSE-HOD-DES-KEZ
HA-NA
NEH-DIH (E)
NA-WOL-NE
ALH-NAHL-YAH
A-DO-NIL
AH-DEL-TAHI (E)
SHIL-LOH (E)
NE-TDALE
AL-TSAN-AH-BAHM
GO AGAINST
AGREED
ENGINE
ENGINEER
MAKE BIG
ENLIST
ENTIRE
MAKE DITCH
ENVELOP
EQUIPMENT
STAND UP
ESCAPE
ESTABLISH
ESTIMATE
EVACUATE
EXCEPT
EXPECT
EXCHANGE
EXECUTE
EXPLOSIVE
SPEED UP
MAKE WIDE
EACH END
FAIL
FAILURE
FARM
FEED
FIELD
FIERCE
FILE
FINAL
FLAME THROWER
FLANK
FLARE
FLIGHT
FORCE
FORM
FORMATION
FORTIFICATION
FORTIFY
FORWARD
FRAGMENTATION
FREQUENCY
FRIENDLY
FROM
FURNISH
FURTHER
CHA-AL-EIND
YEES-GHIN
MAI-BE-HE-AHGAN
DZEH-CHI-YON
CLO-DIH (F)
TOH-BAH-HA-ZSID
BA-EH-CHEZ
TAH-AH-KWO-DIH
COH-AH-GHIL-TLID
DAH-DI-KAD
WO-CHI
MA-E-AS-ZLOLI
TA-NA-NE-LADI
BE-CHA
BE-CHA-YE-LAILH
AH-NA-SOZI
AH-NA-SOZI-YAZZIE
TEHI
BESH-YAZZIE
HA-TALHI-TSO
NEH-HECHO-DA-NE
BI-TSAN-DEHN
YEAS-NIL (F)
WO-NAS-DI
FAIL
FAILURE
FOX ARM
FEED
FIELD
AFRAID
FILE
THAT IS ALL
FLAME THROWER
FLANK
LIGHT STREAK
FOX LIGHT
WITHOUT CARE
FORM
FORMATION
CLIFF DWELLING
SMALL FORTIFICATION
LET'S GO
SMALL METAL
BIG SINGER
FRIENDLY
FROM
FURNISH
FURTHER
GARRISON
GASOLINE
GRENADE
GUARD
GUIDE
YAH-A-DA-HAL-YON-IH
CHIDI-BI-TOH
NI-MA-SI
NI-DIH-DA-HI
NAH-E-THLAI
TAKE CARE OF
GASOLINE
POTATOES
GUARD
GUIDE
HALL
HALF TRACK
LHI-TA-A-TA
ALH-NIH-JAH-A-QUHE
HORSE ALL
RACE TRACK
20
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
HALT
HANDLE
HAVE
HEADQUARTER
HELD
HIGH
HIGH EXPLOSIVE
HIGHWAY
HOLD
HOSPITAL
HOSTILE
HOWITZER
TA-AKWAI-I
HALT
BET-SEEN
HANDLE
JO
HAVE
NA-HA-TAH-TA-BA-HOGAN
HEADQUARTER
WO-TAH-TA-EH-DAHN-OH
HELD (PAST TENSE)
WO-TAH
HIGH
BE-AL-DOH-BE-CA-BIH-DZIL-IGI POWERFUL SHELL
WO-TAH-HO-NE-TEH
HIGH WAY
WO-TKANH
HOLD
A-ZEY-AL-IH
PLACE OF MEDICINE
A-NAH-NE-DZIN
NOT FRIENDLY
BE-EL-DON-TS-QUODI
SHORT BIG GUN
ILLUMINATE
IMMEDIATELY
IMPACT
IMPORTANT
IMPROVE
INCLUDE
INCREASE
INDICATE
INFANTRY
INFILTRATE
INITIAL
INSTALL
INSTALLATION
INSTRUCT
INTELLIGENCE
INTENSE
INTERCEPT
INTERFERE
INTERPRET
INVESTIGATE
INVOLVE
IS
ISLAND
ISOLATE
WO-CHI (I)
SHIL-LOH (I)
A-HE-DIS-GOH
BA-HAS-TEH
HO-DOL-ZHOND
EL-TSOD
HO-NALH
BA-HAL-NEH
TA-NEH-NAL-DAHI
YE-GHA-NE-JEH
BEH-ED-DE-DLID
EHD-TNAH
NAS-NIL
NA-NE-TGIN
HO-YA (I)
DZEEL
YEL-NA-ME-JAH
AH-NILH-KHLAI
AH-TAH-HA-NE
NA-ALI-KA
A-TAH
SEIS
SEIS-KEYAH
BIH-TSA-NEL-KAD
LIGHT UP
IMMEDIATELY
IMPACT
IMPORTANT
IMPROVE
INCLUDE
INCREASE
TELL ABOUT
INFANTRY
WENT THROUGH
BRAND
INSTALL
IN PLACE
TEACH
SMART
STRENGTH
INTERCEPT
INTERFERE
INTERPRET
TRACK
INVOLVOE
SEVEN
SEVEN ISLAND
SEPERATE
JUNGLE
WOH-DI-CHIL
JUNGLE
KILL
KILOCYCLE
NAZ-TSAID
NAS-TSAID-A-KHA-AH-YEHHA-DILH
KILL
KILL OIL GO AROUND
LABOR
LAND
LAUNCH
LEADER
LEAST
LEAVE
LEFT
LESS
LEVEL
LIAISON
LIMIT
LITTER
LOCATE
NA-NISH (L)
KAY-YAH
TKA-GHIL-ZHOD
AH-NA-GHAI
DE-BE-YAZIE-HA-A-AH
DAH-DE-YAH
NISH-CLA-JIH-GOH
BI-OH (L)
DIL-KONH
DA-A-HE-GI-ENEH
BA-HAS-AH
NI-DAS-TON (L)
A-KWE-EH
LABOR
LAND
LAUNCH
LEADER
LAMB FEAST
HE LEFT
LEFT
LESS
LEVEL
KNOW OTHER'S ACTION
LIMIT
SCATTER
SPOT
21
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
LOSS
UT-DIN
LOSS
MACHINE GUN
MAGNETIC
MANAGE
MANEUVER
MAP
MAXIMUM
MECHANIC
MECHANIZED
MEDICAL
MEGACYCLE
MERCHANT SHIP
MESSAGE
MILITARY
MILLIMETER
MINE
MINIMUM
MINUTE
MISSION
MISTAKE
MOPPING
MORE
MORTAR
MOTION
MOTOR
A-KNAH-AS-DONIH
NA-E-LAHI
HASTNI-BEH-NA-HAI
NA-NA-O-NALTH
KAH-YA-NESH-CHAI
BEL-DIL-KHON
CHITI-A-NAYL-INIH
CHIDI-DA-AH-HE-GONI
A-ZAY
MIL-AH-HEH-AH-DILH
NA-EL-NEHI-TSIN-NA-AILH
HANE-AL-NEH
SILAGO-KEH-GOH
NA-AS-TSO-SI-A-YE-DO-TISH
HA-GADE
BE-OH (M)
AH-KHAY-EL-KIT-YAZZIE
AL-NESHODI
O-ZHI
HA-TAO-DI
THLA-NA-NAH
BE-AL-DOH-CID-DA-HI
NA-HOT-NAH
CHIDE-BE-TSE-TSEN
RAPID FIRE GUN
PICK UP
MAN AGE
MOVING AROUND
MAP
FILL TO TOP
AUTO REPAIRMAN
FIGHTING CARS
MEDICINE
MILLION GO AROUND
MERCHANT SHIP
MESSAGE
MILITARY
DOUBLE MOUSE
MINE
MINIMUM
LITTLE HOUR
MISSION
MISS
MOPPING
MORE
SITTING GUN
MOTION
CAR HEAD
NATIVE
NAVY
NECESSARY
NEGATIVE
NET
NEUTRAL
NORMAL
NOT
NOTICE
NOW
NUMBER
KA-HA-TENI
TAL-KAH-SILAGO
YE-NA-ZEHN
DO-YA-SHO-DA
NA-NES-DIZI
DO-NEH-LINI
DOH-A-TA-H-DAH
NI-DAH-THAN-ZIE
NE-DA-TAZI-THIN
KUT
BEH-BIH-KE-AS-CHINIGH
NATIVE
SEA SOLDIER
WANT
NO GOOD
NET
NEUTRAL
NORMAL
NO TURKEY
NO TURKEY ICE
NOW
WHAT'S WRITTEN
OBJECTIVE
OBSERVE
OBSTACLE
OCCUPY
OF
OFFENSIVE
ONCE
ONLY
OPERATE
OPPORTUNITY
OPPOSITION
OR
ORANGE
ORDER
ORDNANCE
ORIGINATE
OTHER
OUT
BI-NE-YEI
HAL-ZID
DA-HO-DESH-ZHA
YEEL-TSOD
TOH-NI-TKAL-LO
BIN-KIE-JINH-JIH-DEZ-JAY
TA-LAI-DI
TA-EI-TAY-A-YAH
YE-NAHL-NISH
ASH-GA-ALIN
NE-HE-TSAH-JIH-SHIN
EH-DO-DAH-GOH
TCHIL-LHE-SOI
BE-EH-HO-ZINI
LEI-AZ-JAH
DAS-TEH-DO
LA-E-CIH
CLO-DIH
GOAL
OBSERVE
OBSTACLE
TAKEN
OCEAN FISH
OFFENSIVE
ONCE
ONLY
WORK AT
OPPORTUNITY
OPPOSITION
EITHER
ORANGE
ORDER
UNDER GROUND
BEGIN
OTHER
OUT SIDE
22
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
OVERLAY
BE-KA-HAS-TSOZ
OVERLAY
PARENTHESIS
PARTICULAR
PARTY
PAY
PENALIZE
PERCENT
PERIOD
PERIODIC
PERMIT
PERSONNEL
PHOTOGRAPH
PILL BOX
PINNED DOWN
PLANE
PLASMA
POINT
PONTOON
POSITION
POSSIBLE
POST
PREPARE
PRESENT
PREVIOUS
PRIMARY
PRIORITY
PROBABLE
PROBLEM
PROCEED
PROGRESS
PROTECT
PROVIDE
PURPLE
PYROTECHNIC
ATSANH
A-YO-AD-DO-NEH
DA-SHA-JAH
NA-ELI-YA
TAH-NI-DES-TANH
YAL
DA-AHL-ZHIN
DA-AL-ZHIN-THIN-MOASI
GOS-SHI-E
DA-NE-LEI
BEH-CHI-MA-HAD-NIL
BI-SO-DIH-DOT-SAHI-BI-TSAH
BIL-DAH-HAS-TANH-YA
TSIDI
DIL-DI-GHILI
BE-SO-DE-DEZ-AHE
TKOSH-JAH-DA-NA-ELT
BILH-HAS-AHN
TA-HA-AH-TAY
SAH-DEI
HASH-TAY-HO-DIT-NE
KUT
BIH-TSE-DIH
ALTSEH-NAN-DAY-HI-GIH
HANE-PESODI
DA-TSI
NA-NISH-TSOH
NAY-NIH-JIH
NAH-SAI
AH-CHANH
YIS-NIL
DINL-CHI
COH-NA-CHANH
RIB
PARTICULAR
PARTY
PAY
SET BACK
MONEY
PERIOD
PERIOD ICE CAT
PERMIT
MEMBER
PHOTOGRAPH
SICK PIG BOX
PINNED DOWN
BIRD
PLASMA
PIG POINT
FLOATING BARREL
POSITION
POSSIBLE
POST
PREPARE
PRESENT
PREVIOUS
1ST POSTION
PRIORITY
PROBABLE
BIG JOB
GO
PROGRESS
SELF DEFENSE
PROVIDE
PURPLE
FANCY FIRE
QUESTION
QUICK
AH-JAH
SHIL-LOH
EAR
QUICK
RADAR
RAID
RAILHEAD
RAILROAD
RALLYING
RANGE
RATE
RATION
RAVINE
REACH
READY
REAR
RECEIPT
RECOMMEND
RECONNAISSANCE
RECONNOITER
RECORD
RED
ESAT-TSANH (R)
DEZJAY
A-DE-GEH-HI
KONH-NA-AL-BANSI-BI-THIN
A-LAH-NA-O-GLALIH
AN-ZAH
GAH-EH-YAHN
NA-A-JAH
CHUSH-KA (R)
IL-DAY (R)
KUT (R)
BE-KA-DENH (R)
SHOZ-TEH
CHE-HO-TAI-TAHN
HA-A-CIDI
TA-HA-NE-AL-YA
GAH-AH-NAH-KLOLI
LI-CHI
LISTEN
RAID
SHIPPING POINT
RAILROAD
GATHERING
DISTANCE
RABBIT ATE
RATION
RAVINE
REACH
READY
REAR
RECEIPT
RECOMMEND
INSPECTOR
MAKE SURE
R-E-ROPE
RED
23
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
REEF
REEMBARK
REFIRE
REGULATE
REINFORCE
RELIEF
RELIEVE
REORGANIZE
REPLACEMENT
REPORT
REPRESENTATIVE
REQUEST
RESERVE
RESTRICT
RETIRE
RETREAT
RETURN
REVEAL
REVERT
REVETMENT
RIDGE
RIFLEMAN
RIVER
ROBOT BOMB
ROCKET
ROLL
ROUND
ROUTE
RUNNER
TSA-ZHIN
EH-NA-COH
NA-NA-COH
NA-YEL-N
NAL-DZIL
AGANH-TOL-JAY
NAH-JIH-CO-NAL-YA
HA-DIT-ZAH
NI-NA-DO-NIL
WHO-NEH
TKA-NAZ-NILI
JO-KAYED-GOH
HESH-J-E
BA-HO-CHINI
AH-HOS-TEEND
JI-DIN-NES-CHANH
NA-DZAH
WHO-NEH (L)
NA-SI-YIZ
BA-NAS-CLA (R)
GAH-GHIL-KEID
BE-AL-DO-HOSTEEN
TOH-YIL-KAL
A-YE-SHI-NA-TAH-IH
LESZ-YIL-BESHI
YEH-MAS
NAZ-PAS (R)
GAH-BIH-TKEEN
NIH-DZID-TEIH
BLACK ROCK
GO IN
REFIRE
REGULATE
REINFORCE
RELIEF
REMOVE
REORGANIZE
REPLACEMENT
GOT WORD
TRIPLE MEN
ASK FOR
RESERVE
RESTRICT
RETIRE
RETREAT
CAME BACK
REVEAL
TURN ABOUT
CORNER
RABBIT RIDGE
RIFLEMEN
MUCH WATER
EGG FLY
SAND BOIL
ROLL
ROUND
RABBIT TRAIL
RUNNER
SABOTAGE
SABOTEUR
SAILOR
SALVAGE
SAT
SCARLET, RED
SCHEDULE
SCOUT
SCREEN
SEAMAN
SECRET
SECTOR
SECURE
SEIZE
SELECT
SEMI COLON
SET
SHACKLE
SHELL
SHORE
SHORT
SIDE
SIGHT
SIGNAL
SIMPLEX
SIT
SITUATE
A-TKEL-YAH
A-TKEL-EL-INI
CHA-LE-GAI
NA-HAS-GLAH
BIH-LA-SANA-CID-DA-HI
LHE-CHI (S & R)
BEH-EH-HO-ZINI
HA-A-SID-AL-SIZI-GIH
BESH-NA-NES-DIZI
TKAL-KAH-DINEH-IH
BAH-HAS-TKIH
YOEHI (S)
YE-DZHE-AL-TSISI
YEEL-STOD
BE-TAH-HAS-GLA
DA-AHL-ZHIN-BI-TSA-NA-DAHL
DZEH-CID-DA-HI
DI-BAH-NESH-GOHZ
BE-AL-DOH-BE-CA
TAH-BAHN (S)
BOSH-KEESH
BOSH-KEESH
YE-EL-TSANH
NA-EH-EH-GISH
ALAH-IH-NE-TIH
TKIN-CID-DA-HI
A-HO-TAY
HINDERED
TROUBLE MAKER
WHITE CAPS
PICK THEM UP
APPLE SITTING
RED
SCHEDULE
SHORT RACOON
SCREEN
SEAMAN
SECRET
SECTOR
SMALL SECURITY
SEIZE
TOOK OUT
DOT DROP
ELK SITTING
SHACKLE
SHELL
SHORE
SHORT
SIDE
SEEN
BY SIGNS
INNER WIRE
ICE SITTING
(S) SITUATE
24
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
SMOKE
LIT
SNIPER
OH-BEHI
SPACE
BE-TKAH
SPECIAL
E-YIH-SIH
SPEED
YO-ZONS
SPORADIC
AH-NA-HO-NEIL
SPOTTER
EEL-TSAY-I
SPRAY
KLESH-SO-DILZIN
SQUADRON
NAH-GHIZI
STORM
NE-OL
STRAFF
NA-WO-GHI-GOID
STRAGGLER
CHY-NE-DE-DAHE
STRATEGY
NA-HA-TAH (S)
STREAM
TOH-NI-LIH
STRENGTH
DZHEL
STRETCH
DESZ-TSOOD
STRIKE
NAY-DAL-GHAL
STRIP
HA-TIH-JAH
STUBBORN
NIL-TA
SUBJECT
NA-NISH-YAZZIE
SUBMERGE
TKAL-CLA-YI-YAH
SUBMIT
A-NIH-LEH
SUBORDINATE
AL-KHI-NAL-DZL
SUCCEED
YAH-TAY-GO-E-ELAH
SUCCESS
UT-ZAH
SUCCESSFUL
UT-ZAH-HA-DEZ-BIN
SUCCESSIVE
UT-ZAH-SID
SUCH
YIS-CLEH
SUFFER
TO-HO-NE
SUMMARY
SHIN-GO-BAH
SUPPLEMENTARY
TKA-GO-NE-NAN-DEY-HE
SUPPLY
NAL-YEH-HI
SUPPLY SHIP
NALGA-HI-TSIN-NAH-AILH
SUPPORT
BA-AH-HOT-GLI
SURRENDER
NE-NA-CHA
SURROUND
NAZ-PAS (S)
SURVIVE
YIS-DA-YA
SYSTEM
DI-BA-TSA-AS-ZHI-BI-TSIN
SMOKE
PICK 'EM OFF
BETWEEN
MAIN THING
SWIFT MOTION
NOW AND THEN
SPOTTER
SNAKE PRAY
SQUASH
STORM
HOE
STRAGGLER
STRATEGY
RUNNING WATER
STRENGTH
STRETCH
STRIKE
STRIP
STUBBORN
SMALL JOB
WENT UNDER WATER
SEND
HELPING EACH OTHER
MAKE GOOD
IT IS DONE
IT IS DONE WELL
SUCCESS SCAR
SOX
SUFFER
SUMMER MARY
3RD POSITION
SUPPLY
SUPPLY SHIP
DEPEND
SURRENDER
SURROUND
SURVIVE
SYSTEM
TACTICAL
TAKE
TANK
TANK DESTROYER
TARGET
TASK
TEAM
TERRACE
TERRAIN
TERRITORY
THAT
THE
THEIR
THEREAFTER
THESE
THEY
THIS
TOGETHER
TACTICAL
TAKE
TORTOISE
TORTOISE KILLER
TARGET
TURKEY ASK
TEA MOUSE
TERRACE
TURKEY RAIN
TERRITORY
TURKEY HAT
BLUE-JAY
THEIR
TURKEY HERE AFTER
THE SEE
THE Y
THE
TOGETHER
E-CHIHN
GAH-TAHN
CHAY-DA-GAHI
CHAY-DA-GAHI-NAIL-TSAIDI
WOL-DONI
TAZI-NA-EH-DIL-KID
DEH-NA-AS-TSO-SI
ALI-KHI-HO-NE-OHA (T)
TASHI-NA-HAL-THIN
KA-YAH (T)
TAZI-CHA
CHA-GEE
BIH
TA-ZI-KWA-I-BE-KA-DI
CHA-GI-O-EH
CHA-GEE (Y)
DI
TA-BILH
25
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
TORPEDO
TOTAL
TRACER
TRAFFIC DIAGRAM
TRAIN
TRANSPORTATION
TRENCH
TRIPLE
TROOP
TRUCK
TYPE
LO-BE-CA
TA-AL-SO
BEH-NA-AL-KAH-HI
HANE-BA-NA-AS-DZOH
COH-NAI-ALI-BAHN-SI
A-HAH-DA-A-CHA
E-GADE
TKA-IH
NAL-DEH-HI
CHIDO-TSO
ALTH-AH-A-TEH
FISH SHELL
TOTAL
TRACER
DIAGRAM STORY LINE
TRAIN
TRANSPORTATION
TRENCH
TRIPLE
TROOP
BIG AUTO
TYPE
UNDER
UNIDENTIFIED
UNIT
UNSHACKLE
UNTIL
BI-YAH
DO-BAY-HOSEN-E
DA-AZ-JAH (U)
NO-DA-EH-NESH-GOHZ
UH-QUO-HO
UNDER
UNIDENTIFIED
UNIT
UNSHACKLE
UNTIL
VICINITY
VILLAGE
VISIBILITY
VITAL
NA-HOS-AH-GIH
CHAH-HO-OH-LHAN-IH
NAY-ES-TEE
TA-EH-YE-SY
THERE ABOUT
MANY SHELTER
VISIBILITY
VITAL
WARNING
WAS
WATER
WAVE
WEAPON
WELL
WHEN
WHERE
WHICH
WILL
WIRE
WITH
WITHIN
WITHOUT
WOOD
WOUND
BILH-HE-NEH (W)
NE-TEH
TKOH
YILH-KOLH
BEH-DAH-A-HI-JIH-GANI
TO-HA-HA-DLAY
GLOE-EH-NA-AH-WO-HAI
GLOE-IH-QUI-AH
GLOE-IH-A-HSI-TLON
GLOE-IH-DOT-SAHI
BESH-TSOSIE
BILH (W)
BILH-BIGIH
TA-GAID
CHIZ
CAH-DA-KHI
WARNING
WAS
WATER
WAVE
FIGHTING WEAPON
WELL
WEASEL HEN
WEASEL HERE
WEASEL TIED TOGETHER
SICK WEASEL
SMALL WIRE
WITH
WITH IN
WITHOUT
FIRE WOOD
WOUND
YARD
A-DEL-TAHL
YARD
ZONE
BIH-NA-HAS-DZOH
ZONE
26
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
The Marine Hymn (In the Code)
Jimmy King, a Navajo Instructor, translated the Marine Hymn into Navajo:
We have conquered our enemies
All over the world
On land and on sea
Everywhere we fight
True and loyal to our duty
We are know by that
United States Marines
To be one is a great thing.
Nin hokeh bi-kheh a-na-ih-la
Ta-al-tso-go na-he-seel-kai
Nih-bi-kah-gi do tah kah-gi
Ta-al-tso-go en-da-de-pah
Tsi-di-da-an-ne ne-tay-yah
Ay be nihe hozeen
Washindon be Akalh Bi-kosi-la
Ji-lengo ba-hozhon
Our flag waves
From dawn to setting sun.
We have fought every place
where we could take a gun
From northern lands
To southern tropic scenes,
We are known to be tireless
The United States Marines
Ni-he da-na-ah-taj ihla
Yel khol-go e-e-ah
Day-ne tal-al-tso go enta-she-jah
Tal-tso-go entas-se-pah
Ha-kaz dineh-ih be-hay-jah
Ado ta aokhek-ash-shen
Do ni-din-da-hi ol-yeh
Washindon be Akalh-bi Khos
... THE LAST VERSE IS SUNG LIKE A PRAYER ...
May we live in peace hereafter
We have conquered all our foes,
No force in the world we cannot
conquer,
We know of no fear
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
United States Marines will be
there Living in peace.
Hozo-go nay-yeltay to
A-na-oh bi-keh de-dlihn
Ni-hi-keh di-dlini ta-etin
Yeh-wol-ye hi-he a-din
Sila-go-tsoi do chah-lakai
Ya-ansh-go das dez e e
Washindon be Akalh-bi Kosi la
Hozo-g-kay-ha-tehn
3 November 1999
27
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
28
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
Navajo Code Talkers
By TSgt Murrey Marder USMC
Marine Corps Combat Correspondent
Reprinted by permission of The Marine Corps Gazette
Through the Solomons, in the Marianas, at Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and almost every island where
Marines have stormed ashore in this war, the Japanese have heard a strange language gurgling
through the earphones of their radio listening sets--a voice code which defies decoding.
To the linguistically keen ear it shows a trace of Asiatic origin, and a lot of what sounds like
American double-talk. This strange tongue, one of the most select in the world, is Navajo,
embellished with improvised words and phrases for military use. For three years it has served
the Marine Corps well for transmitting secret radio and telephone messages in combat.
The dark-skinned, black-haired Navajo code talker, huddled over a portable radio or field
phone in a regimental, divisional or corps command post, translating a message into Navajo as
he reads it to his counterpart on the receiving end miles away, has been a familiar sight in the
Pacific battle zone. Permission to disclose the work of these American Indians in marine
uniform has just been granted by the Marine Corps.
Transmitting messages which the enemy cannot decode is a vital military factor in any
engagement, especially where combat units are operating over a wide area in which
communications must be maintained by radio. Throughout the history of warfare, military
leaders have sought the perfect code--a code which the enemy could not break down, no matter
how able his intelligence staff.
Most codes are based on the codist's native language. If the language is a widely-used one, it
also will be familiar to the enemy and no matter how good your code may be the enemy
eventually can master it. Navajo, however, is one of the world's "hidden" languages; it is
termed "hidden," along with other Indian languages, as no alphabet or other symbols of it exist
in the original form. There are only about 55,000 Navajos, all concentrated in one region,
living on Government reservations and intensely clannish by nature, which has confined the
tongue to its native area.
Except for the Navajos themselves, only a handful of Americans speak the language. At the
time the Marine Corps adopted Navajo as a voice code it was estimated that not more than 28
other persons, American scientists or missionaries who lived among the Navajos and studied
the language for years, could speak Navajo fluently. In recent years, missionaries and the
Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs have worked on the compilation of dictionaries
and grammars of the language, based on its phonetics, to reduce it to writing. Even with these
available it is said that a fluency can be acquired from prepared texts only by persons who are
highly educated in English and who have made a lengthy study of spoken and written Navajo.
One of the reasons which prompted the Marine Corps to adopt Navajo, in preference to a
variety of Indian tongues as used by the AEF in the last war, was a report that Navajos were
29
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
the only Indian group in the United States not infested with German students during the 20
years prior to 1941, when the Germans had been studying tribal dialects under the guise of art
students, anthropologists, etc. It was learned that German and other foreign diplomats were
among the chief customers of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the purchase of publications
dealing with Indian tribes, but it was decided that even if Navajo books were in enemy hands it
would be virtually impossible for the enemy to gain a working knowledge of the language
from that meager information. In addition, even ability to speak Navajo fluently would not
necessarily enable the enemy to decode a military message, for the Navajo dictionary does not
list military terms, and words used for "jeep," "emplacement," "battery," "radar," "antiaircraft,"
etc., have been improvised by Navajos in the field.
The adoption of code talkers by the Marine Corps stemmed from a request for Navajo
communicators by Maj. Gen. Clayton B. Vogel, then Commanding General, Amphibious
Corps, Pacific Fleet. A report submitted with his request said a Navajo enlistment program
would have full support of the Tribal Council at Window Rock, Arizona, Navajo Reservation.
Acting on this request the Marine Corps' Division of Plans and Policies in March 1942 sent
Col. Wethered Woodworth to make a further report on the subject, and a test was made at the
San Diego, Calif., Marine Base to determine the practicality of Navajos as code talkers.
The test revealed that the Navajos who volunteered for the experiment could transmit the
messages given, although with some variation at the receiving end resulting from the lack of
exact words to transmit specific military terms. For example, "Enemy is pressing attack on left
flank" would come out "the enemy is attacking on the left."
Proper schooling in military phraseology, it was believed, could correct this variation, and the
following month the Marine Corps authorized an initial enlistment of 30 Navajos to ascertain
the value of their services.
The enlistment order required that recruits meet full Marine Corps physical requirements and
have a sufficient knowledge of English and Navajo to transmit combat messages in Navajo.
The recruits were to receive regular Marine training, attend a Navajo school at the Fleet Marine
Force Training Center, Camp Elliott, Calif., and then receive sufficient communications
training to enable them to handle their specially qualified talent on the battlefield.
All the recruits spoke the same Navajo basically, but there were certain word variations. In
Navajo, the same word spoken with four different inflections has four different meanings. The
recruits had to agree on words which had no shades of interpretation, for any variation in an
important military messages might be disastrous. As might be expected in any group of youths,
they were not equal in education or intelligence. Some of the military terms were very complex
to the unschooled; all had to be able to understand them thoroughly in order to translate them
into their native language. Some were not easily adaptable to communications work. It was
difficult in several instances for non-Navajos to instruct the recruits in Marine Corps activities;
a few marine instructors were unable to cope with the typical Indian imperturbability.
30
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
On the other hand, many of the recruits were well-educated, intelligent and quick to learn. A
number had worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as clerks, and almost all the Navajos had
the highly developed Indian sensory perceptions.
There were some recruits like PFC Wilsie H. Bitsie, whose father is district supervisor of the
Mexican Springs, N. Mex., Navajo District. Bitsie became an instructor in the Navajo School
at Camp Elliott for a time, and helped work out the much needed military terms. He went on to
join the marine Raiders and at New Georgia his Navajo ability helped the Raiders maintain
contact with the Army command at Munda while the marines knocked out Japanese outposts in
the jungle to the north.
Other code talkers went with the Third Marine Division and the Raiders to Bougainville. There
some manned distant outposts, maintaining contact in Navajo by radio. It was found best to
have close friends work together in teams of two, for they could perfect their code talk by
personal contact.
The men in their units learned that in addition to their language ability the Navajos also could
be good marines. They could do their share of fighting and they made good scouts and
messengers.
There had been concern in some quarters that dark-skinned Navajos might be mistaken for Japs.
In the latter days of the Guadalcanal action one Army unit did pick up a Navajo communicator
on the coastal road and messaged the marine command: "We have captured a Jap in marine
clothing with marine identification tags." A marine officer was startled to find the prisoner was
a Navajo, who was only bored by the proceedings.
The code talkers went on into more campaigns, proving their ability, and the Navajo quota in
the Marine Corps rose from 30 to 420. At their TBXs they transmitted operational orders
which helped us advance from the Solomons to Okinawa.
It was found that the Navajos are not necessary at levels lower than battalions. For messages
between battalions and companies the extra security is not required and speed is the paramount
issue.
The III Amphibious Corps reported that the use of the talkers during the Guam and Peleliu
operations "was considered indispensable for the rapid transmission of classified dispatches.
Enciphering and deciphering time would have prevented vital operational information from
being dispatched or delivered to staff sections with any degree of speed."
At Iwo Jima, Navajos transmitted messages from the beach to division and Corps commands
afloat early on D-day, and after the division commands came ashore, from division ashore to
Corps afloat.
Last April authority was granted to establish a re-training course for Navajos at FMFPac.
Under this plan, five code talkers are taken from each division to attend an intensive 21-day
course which gives emphasis to plane types, ship types, printing and message writing, and
31
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
message transmission. These Navajos then return to their divisions to instruct the remaining
men. It is emphasized that code talkers work out successfully only where interest is shown by
the command and where training continues between operations.
As for the Navajos themselves, they probably are not any more enthusiastic about the
concentrated schooling than most young marines would be about schooling, for they are
amused at being regarded as different from other marines.
On rare occasions, though, they do lapse into some typical Indian gyrations. Ernie Pyle, in one
of his last dispatches from Okinawa, described how the First Division's Navajos had put on a
ceremonial dance before leaving for Okinawa. In the ceremony, they asked the gods to sap the
strength of the Japanese in the assault.
According to a later report, when the First Division met the strong opposition in the south of
Okinawa, one marine turned to a Navajo code talker and said,
"O.K., Yazzey, what about your little ceremony? What do you call this?"
"This is different," answered the Navajo with a smile. "We prayed only for an easy landing."
32
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
CG, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet Ltr dtd 6 March 1942;
Subject: Enlistment of Navaho Indians
33
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
CG, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet Ltr dtd 6 March 1942;
Subject: Enlistment of Navaho Indians (Cont)
34
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
35
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
36
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
37
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
38
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
39
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
40
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
41
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
42
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43
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
44
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
MCNOSC : Commanding Officer
Colonel Eric L. Rolaf
Colonel Eric L. Rolaf graduated from Toms River High
School North, Toms River, New Jersey in 1978. He attended college
in Lexington, Virginia where he graduated from the Virginia
Military Institute with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He was
commissioned a Second Lieutenant in August 1982. He completed
The Basic School and Basic Communication Officers Course at
Quantico, Virginia in 1983.
Second Lieutenant Rolaf reported to the 3d Force Service
Support Group, III Marine Amphibious Force, Okinawa, Japan in
August 1983 where he served as Communications Officer, 3d Landing Support Battalion. He
was promoted to First Lieutenant in August 1984. Upon completion of his overseas tour, First
Lieutenant Rolaf transferred to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina.
While stationed at the drill field, he served in the Recruit Training Regiment first as a Series
Commander with 1st Recruit Training Battalion, and subsequently, as Director, Special
Training Branch, Support Battalion.
First Lieutenant Rolaf transferred to Quantico, Virginia in July 1987 to attend the
Advanced Communication Officers Course. In September 1987, he was promoted to Captain.
Captain Rolaf graduated from the Advanced Communication Officers Course in May 1988. In
June, 1988, he reported to the Command Element, 6th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Maritime
Prepositioning Force), Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for duty as the G-6 Communication
Operations Officer. In June 1990, when the MEB staff was embedded into the II Marine
Expeditionary Force Command Element, he was reassigned for duty as the Assistant
Communication Operations and Plans Officer. In November 1990, Captain Rolaf transferred
to the Command Element, 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) for
duty as Communications Officer. While serving with 22d MEU (SOC), he deployed to the
Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Storm from September 1991 to March 1992.
Captain Rolaf transferred to the Personnel Management Division, Manpower and
Reserve Affairs Department, Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, DC in April 1992.
While stationed at the Headquarters from 1992 to 1995, he served consecutively as a Company
Grade Ground Officer Monitor and as the Assistant Ground Lieutenant Colonels Monitor. He
was promoted to the grade of Major in August 1994. In August 1995, Major Rolaf attended
the College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.
Completing the course in June 1996, he received a Master of Arts degree in National Security
and Strategic Studies.
Major Rolaf transferred to III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan in July
1996 where he served as Executive Officer, 7th Communication Battalion for two years.
Subsequently, he was transferred to Headquarters Battalion, 3d Marine Division for duty as
Commanding Officer, Communication Company where he served in command for one year.
45
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
He was promoted to the grade of Lieutenant Colonel in June 1999. Later in June, he returned
to the United States for duty with The Joint Staff where he served in the Command, Control,
Communications, and Computer Systems (C4) Directorate (J-6) as an Action Officer with the
CINC C4 Support Division (J6U). While serving with The Joint Staff, he attended the Armed
Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia where he completed Phase 2 of Joint Professional
Military Education.
Lieutenant Colonel Rolaf departed The Joint Staff in May 2001 to begin Norwegian
language training at the Inlingua School of Languages, Rosslyn, Virginia in preparation for
assignment to Top Level School in Oslo, Norway. Upon completion of the year-long language
course, he attended the Norwegian National Defense College, Akershus Festning (fortress) in
Oslo, Norway. He graduated in June 2003 and reported for duty as Deputy Assistant Chief of
Staff G-6 with the 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In August 2004,
Colonel Rolaf transferred to Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, DC where he
served as Chief, Strategic Planning Division, C4 Department. On 1 February 2005, Colonel
Rolaf assumes responsibilities as Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Network Operations and
Security Command at Quantico, Virginia.
46
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
MCNOSC : Senior Enlisted Advisor
MGySgt Walter J. Burgess
Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt) Walter J. Burgess is a
native of South Carolina. A graduate of Lake City High School
he joined the Marine Corps on 21 September, 1980 attending
boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina.
Upon graduation from boot camp then Private First Class (PFC)
Burgess attended Field Radio Operator School at Marine Air
Ground Combat Center (MAGCC), 29 Palms, California. He
reported to Headquarters Company, 6th Marine Regiment, Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina in May 1981. During his tour with 6th Marines, he was promoted to
Corporal (Cpl) meritoriously and received three Meritorious Masts for his outstanding
performance. In October 1983, Cpl Burgess was transferred to 1st Force Service Support
Group (FSSG), H&S Bn, Communications Company (CommCo), 29 Palms, California. During
this tour he continued to build his framework in the Corps receiving two additional Meritorious
Masts for his enthusiasm and tenacious work ethic. It was from 1st FSSG that he was sent to
MAGCC, 29 Palms, California, to train as a 2532 (Microwave Communication Operator). In
January 1985 he reported to 3rd Marine Division (MARDIV), 7th Communication Battalion
(CommBn), Okinawa, Japan as a 2532. He participated in Team Spirit where he received a
Meritorious Mast in his newly acquired MOS. He completed Marine Corps Maintenance
Management School in May 1985 and on the 2nd of November 1985 he was promoted to
Sergeant (Sgt).
In February 1986, he received orders once again sending him to 2nd FSSG, 8th CommBn,
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. During his tour, he received a Letter of Appreciation for his
participation in the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) demonstration for Admiral
Crowe and the Marshal of the Soviet Union, Sergei F. Akhromevev. Sgt. Burgess completed
Satellite Communication School at Fort Gordon, Georgia, in April 1987 and received a Letter
of Commendation for being the number one student in his class.
In March 1989, he transferred to, 3rd Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Intelligence Group (SRIG),
7th CommBn, Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan for duty as a Satellite Communication Chief.
During his tour, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant (SSgt) in July 1989. Widely recognized as
the duty expert in his field as a Satellite Communication Chief, he received a Letter of
Appreciation for his significant contributions to the backbone of the Marine Expeditionary
Force (MEF) Command and Control infrastructure. During May 1990, he received orders to
1st Surveillance Reconnaissance Intelligence Group (SRIG), 9th Communication Battalion,
Camp Pendleton, California. For eight months of this tour, he participated in Operation Desert
Storm and Desert Shield receiving a Navy Achievement Medal for his exemplary duty
performance. SSgt Burgess completed the Staff Non-Commissioned Officer Academy in
August 1991 and Communication Systems Chief School in March 1992.
47
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
In July 1992, he attended Drill Instructor School at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego,
California. Upon graduation SSgt Burgess reported to 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Charlie
Company for duty. During his tour, he trained three platoons as a Junior Drill Instructor and
four platoons as a Senior Drill Instructor. Again his labor was recognized, he received the
Morale Leadership Award, a Certificate of Commendation, three Meritorious Masts and a
Navy Achievement Medal 2nd Award.
In October 1994, SSgt. Burgess was transferred to 2nd SRIG, 8th CommBn, Camp Lejeune,
NC. During this tour, he was promoted to Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) in August 1995. He
attended the Joint Tactical Automated Switching Network Supervisor Course and the Joint
Task Force System Course at the Army Signal Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia. He also attended
Communication Chief School (0691) where he graduated in the top ten of his class. GySgt
Burgess served as Section Chief and Communication Chief for Satellite platoon. He also
assumed the duties as the Battalion’s System Planning and Engineer Chief. Upon transferring
GySgt Burgess received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for exceptional
service.
GySgt Burgess reported to 7th CommBn in November, 1997. Assigned as the battalions
System Planning and Engineer Chief, he planned and participated in over 10 major joint and
MEF level exercises. He completed the Tactical Network Analysis Planning Systems Course
(TNAPS), SNCO Advance Academy, Joint Network Management System Course, and the
Defense Information System Agency (DISA) Telecommunication Seminar for Strategic/
Tactical Communications Planners. He was then promoted to Master Sergeant (MSgt) in
November, 1999. MSgt Burgess received the Meritorious Service Medal for his significant
contributions to MEF operations.
MSgt Burgess was hand selected to receive orders to the Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) in May
2001 and to serve in the National Military Command Center (NMCC) as an Emergency Action
Staff Noncommissioned Officer. At this time he was promoted to his current grade of Master
Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt) in October 2003. Upon completion of this tour with the Joint
Chief of Staff, MGySgt Burgess received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
MGySgt Burgess received orders to the Marine Corps Network Operation Security Command
(MCNOSC) in August 2004 where he is currently serving as the Senior Enlisted
Advisor/Communication Chief. He is working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Information Systems Management with a minor in Management.
48
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace meets with five Navajo Code Talkers and their family members at the Pentagon Aug. 10,
2007. Code Talkers were Native American Marines who served in World War II and helped develop a communications code based on their native
language. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, U.S. Air Force. (Released)
Photo by: D. MYLES CULLEN, USAF STAFF SGT,
Record ID No. (VIRIN): 070810-F-0193C-002
49
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50
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51
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52
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53
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54
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55
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56
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57
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58
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59
THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
"Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would
never have taken Iwo Jima."
- Major Howard Connor USMC, 5th Marine Division Signal Officer,
26 March 1945
60