Kids & Family

Young Marines Meet Navajo Code Talkers

Four sisters from Seal Beach travel to Arizona to meet Navajo Code Talkers, who created unbreakable codes and helped save thousands of lives during World War II.

More than 100 members of the Young Marines, including four sisters from Seal Beach, traveled to Window Rock, AZ, last month to be part of Navajo Code Talkers Day.

Young Marines from across the country have gathered in Arizona since 2006 to honor the Navajo code talkers from World War II. Event organizers said the Navajo Code Talkers are credited with helping saves lives during the war through their unbreakables codes.

“It was a privilege to educate the Young Marines about the role of the Navajo code talkers and give them the opportunity to meet these living heroes,” said Michael Smith, coordinator of Navajo Code Talker Day and son of Samuel Smith, Navajo code talker.

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According to Young Marine officials, Japanese intelligence experts broke every code the U.S. forces devised during the early months of WWII and were able to anticipate American actions. World War I veteran Philip Johnston suggested the U.S. military develop a code based on the Navajo language which was unwritten. Once he demonstrated to the Marine Corps how effective a Navajo-based code would be in thwarting intelligence breaches, the Marines set out to sign up Navajos as radio operators.

The efforts of the Navajo Code Talkers played a key role in the U.S. winning the Battle of Iwo Jima as well as the battles of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan and Okinawa, officials said.

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“It’s rare to meet people who have had such an impact on our lives,” said Brenda McNulty, Unit Commander, Mountain View unit of the Young Marines and organizer of the event. “These men are more than just WWII heroes. They are dear friends to the Young Marines.”

In addition to meeting the Navajo Code Talkers, the Young Marines also escorted veterans, cleaned up Veteran's Memorial Park and learned about the Navajo culture.

For more information about the Young Marines, visit youngmarines.com/.

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