Code Talker

Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two
By Joseph Bruchac

This story is beautifully written, and explains a lot about what was going on in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. Narrated by Ned Begay, a Navajo Indian from New Mexico, this novel tells the story of how he joined the U.S. Marines at age 16--and was given the top secret mission of code talker. Because he could speak fluent Navajo (despite the U.S. attempt to wipe out that entire language and culture through Indian boarding schools) and it is a complicated language known by relatively few people, Ned was called to help develop a secret code for transmitting important military messages during battle. Code Talker describes Ned's experience in some of the most horrendous island battles against the Japanese, and the crucial role these brave Navajo code talkers played. The novel is historical fiction, based on real events.
I was amazed to learn that the Navajo code talkers were not officially recognized until 1969, almost 25 years after the end of the war--partly because the Navajo code was so secret and "unbreakable," the military wanted to keep it for future wars.