An Artistic Homage to Code Talkers

If you follow me at all, then you know of my feelings of great respect for the Navajo people, the Diné. August 14 is designated as National Code Talkers Day and is an opportunity for the world to remember, and to recognize, the contributions Navajo soldiers, US Marines, made to World War II.

These solders developed a code, based on the Navajo language, to help America's war efforts--the code remained unbreakable throughout the war. The irony was not lost on the soldiers--many of whom had been forced to attend government run boarding schools where they were punished for speaking their traditional language. Code talkers, as they came to be known, were assigned in pairs to a military unit. During battle, one person would operate the portable radio while the second person would relay and receive messages in the Native language and translate them into English. The speed at which they accomplished this was phenomenal.

If you are interested in a first-hand account of the experience of one of the original code talkers, I recommend you read "Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII".

The following image uses 3 of my photographs from multiple trips to Navajoland to create the homage. Various digital techniques were used to create the final image. The Code Talker featured is Peter MacDonald, born Hashkasilt Begay, with the radio used by the solders in WWII. In the background, an image of Window Rock, a window formation of sandstone, near where the Code Talker Memorial is located.