Member of secret WWII Navajo Code Talker Marine unit dies at 90

Yahoo ^ | 11/02/12 | Ron Recinto

[DFG]

A member of the famed Navajo Code Talkers, who used their rare and ancient language to outwit the Japanese during World War II, has died.

George Smith died on Oct. 30 at the Gallup Indian Medical Center in New Mexico, said Navajo Nation president Ben Shelly. Smith was 90.

"Our Navajo Code Talkers have been real life heroes to generations of Navajo people," Shelly said in a statement. "They have brought pride to our Navajo people in so many ways."

In honor of Smith, the Navajo Nation flag will be flown at half-staff until sundown on Nov. 4.

[ansel12]

Can someone tell me what the difference was between being a radio operator that spoke Navajo, and those that didn’t, as far as it relates to courage and heroism?

Also, this was old hat to the Army, they started it in WWI, and kept doing it in WWII, in the Pacific, Africa, and Europe, why are those Indians and the actual history of code talkers and the US military, totally unknown?

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[cynwoody]

Can someone tell me what the difference was between being a radio operator that spoke Navajo, and those that didn’t, as far as it relates to courage and heroism?

Arguably being a Navajo code talker took less courage than being an ordinary radio operator speaking in code. That's because the Navajo language's obscurity layered on a whole new level of security, making it all the less likely that you and your unit might suffer the consequences of your messages being intercepted.

RIP, George Smith and all the other veterans of the Greatest Generation who have passed.

[uglybiker]

It was a wartime secret. Yes the japanese knew about them, but that didn't help as they had no way of breaking the code.

Even after the Japanese surrender, the program remained classified. The Navajo who were in the program never told anyone until it was declassified in the late 60's. Not even their families had nay idea what they did.

So yea, it was a secret.

[uglybiker]

It was a wartime secret. Yes the japanese knew about them, but that didn't help as they had no way of breaking the code.

Even after the Japanese surrender, the program remained classified. The Navajo who were in the program never told anyone until it was declassified in the late 60's. Not even their families had any idea what they did.

So yeah, it was a secret. And a damn good one, too.