Navajo Code Talkers and Their Return to Dinetah
- Over 400 Navajo Code Talkers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Forbidden to speak their language by the Bureau of Indian Affairs while attending the boarding schools, they were specifically sought out by the U.S. Marine Corps to speak Navajo in tactical operations against Japanese Imperial Forces.
- Each Code Talker was assigned a caucasian Marine battle buddy to ensure fellow Marines did not mistakenly kill the codetalker as a Japanese combatant.
- The Navajo Code Talkers participatred in the worst combat operations in the Pacific Theater to include Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa.
- Upon discharge, the Navajo Code Talkers were instructed to never discuss their actions. It was not until 1968, their contribution to the war effort were de-classified and made known to the public.
- Purification ceremonies and other rituals were only performed for those who requested it.
- "I used to get nightmares after I came back home. I couldn't afford a private Squaw Dance, so I went to the big ones whenever they held them and just paid for the medicine. Sure enough, after the dance I was cured of my nightmares." (Paul Blatchford. McClain, 227).
- "I didn't have a ceremony when I came home. I didn't quite believe in it anymore. A medicine man that was an old friend suggested I have one, but I didn't have the money to pay him to perform it. He agreed to do a one night sing over me for free. I aprticipated in the sing and felt a great weight leave my mind and body. I felt very rested afterwards." (Carl Gorman. McClain, 227).
Code Talkers, Bougainville (Nov. 1943)
- "I was having nightmares all the time. Everytime I shut my eyes I could see or hear the enemy coming after me. I would find myself screaming....... This continued for over a year until I went completely deaf. The doctors couldn't find a cause for my deafness and couldn't help me. Finally, my father put up a Gourd Dance for me. It was just unbelievable what happened to me. The first night I heard a drum and my ear popped and I could hear again! After the Gourd Dance I gained back my weight and the nightmares slowly faded." (Dan Ackee. McClain, 227).
https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2008-featured-story-archive/navajo-code-talkers/, Accessed November 9, 2019.
Ingber, Sasha (2019-01-2019). "One Of The Last Navajo Code Talkers Dies At 94". NPR. Accessed November 10, 2019.
McLellan, Dennis (2011-07-24). "Joe Morris Sr. dies at 85; Navajo code talker during World War II". Los Angeles Times. Accessed November 10, 2019.