Code talkers were Indigenous Americans who used their languages to help the United States military communicate in secret. This black-and-white photograph shows two Navajo code talkers operating a radio during World War II (1939-1945). The Navajo language was unknown to the Germans and Japanese and proved impossible for them to decipher.
Credit: NARA

On November 11, the anniversary of the end of World War I (1914-1918), the United States observes Veterans Day honoring men and women who have served in the United States armed services. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day to remember the tragedies of war and appreciate peace achieved by the armistice (truce). In 1938, Armistice Day was made a federal holiday. Congress renamed the day Veterans Day to honor all United States Veterans in 1954. Around the world, the anniversary of the end of World War I is a day to remember those who have died in war. Australia, Canada, and New Zealand observe Remembrance Day on November 11. The United Kingdom observes Remembrance Day on the Sunday closest to November 11.

November is also Native American Heritage Month, a time to observe the cultures, histories, and traditions of Indigenous Americans. Many Indigenous Americans have served in the United States armed forces, contributing to the United States’ success in World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945). Most notably, Indigenous Americans called the Code Talkers developed and used codes that enabled the United States and its allies to communicate globally without enemy interference.

The Code Talkers were small groups of Indigenous Americans who served in the United States armed forces in World War I and World War II. Code Talkers developed and used codes in Indigenous American languages to send secret messages, helping the United States and its allies win both wars.

The engineer Philip Johnston suggested the United States Marine Corps use Navajo language as a code during World War II. He grew up on a Navajo reservation and knew that the Navajo language is unwritten, difficult to decipher (decode), and unknown to most people who are not Navajo. In 1942, the United States Marine Corps recruited 29 Navajo men to develop the code. The code talkers used familiar wards to represent U.S. military terms. For example, bombs were called eggs in Navajo. They also created a new phonetic alphabet with Navajo words.

Similarly, in World War I, 19 Choctaw men had served in the U.S. Army, sending and receiving messages based on the Choctaw language. During World War II, 17 Comanche men used their language for code in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Nov. 11, 2011

To mark Veterans Day on November 11, United States President Barack Obama spoke of the sacrifice of U.S. veterans and members of the armed services and placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Veterans Day, a legal holiday in the United States, honors men and women who have served in the U.S. armed services. Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11, the anniversary of the end of World War I (1914-1918). In 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day to remind Americans of the tragedies of war. In 1954, Congress changed the holiday’s name to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand observe November 11 as Remembrance Day to honor people who have died in war. The United Kingdom celebrates Remembrance Day on the Sunday closest to November 11.

The Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington, Va., honors members of the United States armed forces who have given their lives in war. A sentry guards this famous memorial day and night. This photo shows the changing of the guard at the tomb. Kurt Scholz, Shostal.

The Tomb of the Unknowns–originally called the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier–was completed in 1931. At first, it held only the body of one of the many American soldiers killed in battle in World War I who could not be identified. Congress later directed that an “Unknown American” from each of three wars–World War II (1939-1945), the Korean War (1950-1953), and the Vietnam War (1957-1975)–be buried beside the tomb. The Vietnam War unknown was the only American serviceman killed in that war whose remains could not be identified. At the time of the ceremony, however, more than 2,400 service members were still listed as missing. In 1998, DNA tests determined that the Vietnam War unknown was Michael Blassie, an Air Force lieutenant shot down over South Vietnam in 1972. Later in 1998, the remains of Lieutenant Blassie were moved to a veterans’ cemetery near St. Louis.

Arlington National Cemetery is one of the largest and most famous national cemeteries in the United States. The cemetery surrounds Arlington House, which was the home of General Robert E. Lee, who commanded the Confederate Army in the American Civil War (1861-1865). The U.S. government made Arlington a national cemetery in 1864.

Additional World Book articles:

• Afghanistan War
• Iraq War
• Korean War Veterans Memorial
• Persian Gulf War of 1991
  
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial