Navajo code talkers on Bouganville
(American Forces Information Service).
A code talker who survived Iwo Jima, Sam Billison tells the story
of the famed code talkers after World War II. Billison served with
the Reconnaissance Company, 5th Marine Division, and was on the front
line assault at Iwo Jima. He is currently President of the Navajo
Code Talkers Association, which claims about forty members and
is located in Window Rock, Arizona -- the heart of the Navajo nation.
Billison says that after the conclusion of the Second World War,
most of the code talkers "returned to the land they came from"
to "help the Navajo nation." Many became farmers or ranchers
in the mostly rural region. A few, like other veterans around the
country, went to school courtesy of the GI Bill.
Because of the region's historically high unemployment, many code
talkers re-enlisted and fought in Korea and Vietnam (with all four
branches), performing the same essential functions as in World War
II.
In fact, because of the continuing effectiveness of their code, the
armed forces kept the code talkers and their accomplishments a secret
until fairly recently. The Department of Defense officially honored
the code talkers in 1992, and the code talker exhibit is now a regular
stop on the Pentagon
tour.
Today, the Navajo Code Talkers Association is involved in many community
activities. They meet monthly, sell books and posters, and raise
funds for student scholarships. They also help pay for funeral expenses
for group members, says Billison.
In a recent development, Hasbro released the new Navajo
code talker GI Joe, with Billison as the voice. The toy repeats
seven phrases, first in Navajo code and then in English translation.
Not surprisingly, the toy has been very popular on the Navajo reservation,
and the figure is in short supply. Billison says that reaction to
the toy has been positive -- a lot of people have contacted him as
a result, often with small donations to the non-profit group.
The Navajo Language Today
According to Billison, 35% of young Navajos indicated in a recent
survey that they do not speak Navajo. As a result, it is now policy
in reservation schools to teach Navajo to all children.
There is no alphabet or numerical system for Navajo (which was
one factor contributing to the code's strength). So the Navajo
use the English alphabet as a phonetic system.
