TASK
ONE
Read the text and choose the right answer.
During World War II John Brown was
other Native Americans he created a military code
The code was locked so tight that the Japanese never came close to deciphering it. From 1942 to V
in 1945, the code talkers delivered critical orders and battle plans in simple language they had inve
When the war was won, the Navajo code talkers were given the same order as before: protect the secret
code. So Brown felt extraordinary pride when, after decades during which the code
remained classified, George W. Bush presented the f
medals. Now came Brown’s moment to tell his children about the role that he and his Navajo comrades
had played in the war.
It was Philip Johnston who proposed the use of Navajo to the United States Marine Corp
beginning of World War II. Johnston, a World War I veteran, was raised on
son of a missionary to the Navajos, he
Johnston noticed the potential Navajo c
language practically impossible to understand for Native Americans from outside the Navajo
community.
So, in spring 1942, the first 29 Navajo recruits, John Brown among them, came to Camp
Pandleton, Oceanside, California. They were told to create a code based on their native language. The
system they created was modelled on the Navy phonetic alphabet. They developed a simple phonetic
matrix, with a Navajo word for each letter of the English alphabet.
we used eagle, atsah, etc,” Brown explains. It was decided the phonetic spelling of all military words
letter by letter into Navajo words would be too time
to a different cryptographic system. They were given descriptive equivalents in Navajo. For the word
America they substituted the Navajo word for
grenade became a potato, a tank a
by half.
New code words were added to the cryptogram throughout the war. To make sure the code was
used everywhere in the same way, representative code talkers of each
to discuss gaps in the cryptogram and add new words to it. These representatives in turn trained other
code talkers who could not attend the meeting. In other instances, special code words were created on
the spot before a particular campaign. They were used in one area of operation and there was no need to
include them in the codebooks whatsoever.
Every precaution was made to guard the code. Once Navajos learned all its
by heart, they destroyed all written materials that had been used in training. On the battlefield, the code
was never written down. It was always spoken.
capture. Each code talker was accompanied by a bodyguard. The guard had to protect
but also to protect the code. “So, if one of us was caugh
There is no documented evidence that there was such an order. But the surviving Navajo code talkers all
say they were aware of the situation
Brown says. “That was war. We were obligated.”
One of the Navajos, Joe Kieyoomia, was in fact captured by the Japanese in the Philippines in
1942. Kieyoomia, a Navajo Sergeant in
radio messages. However, since he had not participated in the code training, the messages made no
sense to him. When he reported that he could not understand them, the Japanese tortured him.
Brown was lucky enough never to be captured. However
After two years in the Pacific he got sick with malaria. He was shipped to a Pearl Harbour hospital having
lost more than 30 pounds. It was there that he also received
of war had really affected him,” says his son, Virgil. “He later told us how he’d disembark into island
battlefields and see the bodies of guys he’d talked to only hours before. It was worse than the risk of
being hurt himself,” Virgil says.
L
EVEL
2
R
EADING
[
75
MINS
]
1
Read the text and choose the right answer.
The Code Talkers
During World War II John Brown was a member of an elite group of marines. Together with 28
other Native Americans he created a military code that was based on the native tongue of the Navajo.
The code was locked so tight that the Japanese never came close to deciphering it. From 1942 to V
in 1945, the code talkers delivered critical orders and battle plans in simple language they had inve
When the war was won, the Navajo code talkers were given the same order as before: protect the secret
code. So Brown felt extraordinary pride when, after decades during which the code
remained classified, George W. Bush presented the five surviving Navajo cryptographers with gold
medals. Now came Brown’s moment to tell his children about the role that he and his Navajo comrades
It was Philip Johnston who proposed the use of Navajo to the United States Marine Corp
beginning of World War II. Johnston, a World War I veteran, was raised on a Navajo reservation
a missionary to the Navajos, he was one of the few non-Navajos who spoke their language fluently.
Johnston noticed the potential Navajo could have for military cryptography. It was an unwritten
language practically impossible to understand for Native Americans from outside the Navajo
So, in spring 1942, the first 29 Navajo recruits, John Brown among them, came to Camp
Oceanside, California. They were told to create a code based on their native language. The
system they created was modelled on the Navy phonetic alphabet. They developed a simple phonetic
matrix, with a Navajo word for each letter of the English alphabet. “For D we used dog,
,” Brown explains. It was decided the phonetic spelling of all military words
ds would be too time-consuming. That’s why military terms were subject
to a different cryptographic system. They were given descriptive equivalents in Navajo. For the word
America they substituted the Navajo word for Our Mother; for Destroyer – the word for
, a tank a tortoise, etc. This method shortened the time of coded communication
New code words were added to the cryptogram throughout the war. To make sure the code was
used everywhere in the same way, representative code talkers of each US Marine division met in Hawaii
to discuss gaps in the cryptogram and add new words to it. These representatives in turn trained other
code talkers who could not attend the meeting. In other instances, special code words were created on
particular campaign. They were used in one area of operation and there was no need to
include them in the codebooks whatsoever.
Every precaution was made to guard the code. Once Navajos learned all its
en materials that had been used in training. On the battlefield, the code
was never written down. It was always spoken. Obviously, the Navajos became
capture. Each code talker was accompanied by a bodyguard. The guard had to protect
but also to protect the code. “So, if one of us was caught, the bodyguard was to shoot him
There is no documented evidence that there was such an order. But the surviving Navajo code talkers all
situation. “The order was to allow them to shoot you if you were captured. ”
Brown says. “That was war. We were obligated.”
One of the Navajos, Joe Kieyoomia, was in fact captured by the Japanese in the Philippines in
1942. Kieyoomia, a Navajo Sergeant in the US Army, but not a code talker, was ordered to interpret
radio messages. However, since he had not participated in the code training, the messages made no
sense to him. When he reported that he could not understand them, the Japanese tortured him.
Brown was lucky enough never to be captured. However, the hardships of war hit him hard.
After two years in the Pacific he got sick with malaria. He was shipped to a Pearl Harbour hospital having
lost more than 30 pounds. It was there that he also received psychological help. “The shock and violence
of war had really affected him,” says his son, Virgil. “He later told us how he’d disembark into island
battlefields and see the bodies of guys he’d talked to only hours before. It was worse than the risk of
arines. Together with 28
that was based on the native tongue of the Navajo.
The code was locked so tight that the Japanese never came close to deciphering it. From 1942 to V-J Day
in 1945, the code talkers delivered critical orders and battle plans in simple language they had invented.
When the war was won, the Navajo code talkers were given the same order as before: protect the secret
code. So Brown felt extraordinary pride when, after decades during which the code-talker project
ive surviving Navajo cryptographers with gold
medals. Now came Brown’s moment to tell his children about the role that he and his Navajo comrades
It was Philip Johnston who proposed the use of Navajo to the United States Marine Corps at the
Navajo reservation; as the
Navajos who spoke their language fluently.
ould have for military cryptography. It was an unwritten
language practically impossible to understand for Native Americans from outside the Navajo
So, in spring 1942, the first 29 Navajo recruits, John Brown among them, came to Camp
Oceanside, California. They were told to create a code based on their native language. The
system they created was modelled on the Navy phonetic alphabet. They developed a simple phonetic
“For D we used dog, lha-cha-eh. For E,
,” Brown explains. It was decided the phonetic spelling of all military words
That’s why military terms were subject
to a different cryptographic system. They were given descriptive equivalents in Navajo. For the word
the word for shark. A hand
This method shortened the time of coded communication
New code words were added to the cryptogram throughout the war. To make sure the code was
US Marine division met in Hawaii
to discuss gaps in the cryptogram and add new words to it. These representatives in turn trained other
code talkers who could not attend the meeting. In other instances, special code words were created on
particular campaign. They were used in one area of operation and there was no need to
Every precaution was made to guard the code. Once Navajos learned all its necessary elements
en materials that had been used in training. On the battlefield, the code
Obviously, the Navajos became particular targets for
capture. Each code talker was accompanied by a bodyguard. The guard had to protect the code talker,
t, the bodyguard was to shoot him,” Brown says.
There is no documented evidence that there was such an order. But the surviving Navajo code talkers all
. “The order was to allow them to shoot you if you were captured. ”
One of the Navajos, Joe Kieyoomia, was in fact captured by the Japanese in the Philippines in
the US Army, but not a code talker, was ordered to interpret the
radio messages. However, since he had not participated in the code training, the messages made no
sense to him. When he reported that he could not understand them, the Japanese tortured him.
the hardships of war hit him hard.
After two years in the Pacific he got sick with malaria. He was shipped to a Pearl Harbour hospital having
psychological help. “The shock and violence
of war had really affected him,” says his son, Virgil. “He later told us how he’d disembark into island
battlefields and see the bodies of guys he’d talked to only hours before. It was worse than the risk of
