Cpl. Chester Nez - Navajo Code Talker

Chester Nez helped develop an encrypted communication system for the U.S. military.

In 1942, Chester Nez was sent with U.S. military units to the South Pacific. He joined the 1st Marine Division, which had already been fighting for three months in Guadalcanal. In the middle of the battle, Nez sent his first radio transmission of World War II. It sounded like this: “Anaai naatsosi beeldooh alhaa dildoni nishnaajigo nahdikadgo. Diiltaah.” Right after his message was received, an enemy machine gun nest was destroyed. But what exactly had Nez said? His words translated to: “Enemy machine gun nest on your right. Destroy.”

Chester Nez was born in Chi Chil Tah, New Mexico, on a Navajo reservation. His mother died when he was very young, and he was raised by his father, aunt, and grandmother. For a time, the family was able to live well with a large flock of sheep. But in the 1930s, the federal government forced the slaughter of tens of thousands of Navajo sheep, including those belonging to the Nez family. Officials claimed the sheep were overgrazing, but for families like the Nezes, it meant the loss of their main source of income. After this, they had to rely on subsistence farming to survive.

At the age of eight, Chester began attending Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools. There, his Navajo name was taken away and replaced with “Chester,” after President Chester Arthur. The schools had one main goal: to force Native children to assimilate into white culture. Students were forbidden from speaking Navajo. If they were caught, they were beaten or had their mouths washed out with soap.

In 1942, while Nez was still in high school in Arizona, a Marine Corps recruiter visited looking for bilingual students in English and Navajo. For years Nez had been punished for speaking his language, but now the military wanted it. Although Nez had doubts about joining the Marines, especially because of the way Native Americans had been mistreated, he decided to enlist. He explained his decision by saying, “Somebody’s got to go. Somebody’s got to defend this country. Somebody’s got to defend the freedom.”

Nez was one of 29 Navajo men who formed the first all-Navajo platoon at Marine Corps boot camp. They became known as the “First Twenty-Nine” Code Talkers. Like all recruits, they endured the harsh training of boot camp, but they also had a unique mission. They were asked to create a code based on the Navajo language, which at the time had no written form and was understood by very few non-Navajos. This made it nearly impossible for enemies, including the Japanese, to crack.

The Code Talkers created a two-part system. The first part was a glossary of military words, translated or coded into Navajo. For example, “lo-tso-yazzie,” which means “small whale,” was their code word for “warship.” The second part was an alphabet system. To spell out words, they used Navajo words that started with the same English letter. For “P,” they might use “cla-gi-aih” (pant), “bi-so-dih” (pig), or “ne-zhoni” (pretty).

This system allowed the Code Talkers to send messages quickly and securely. During the war, they sent thousands of transmissions, often containing critical details like bombing coordinates. Their work was so vital that they sometimes worked 35-hour shifts without food or sleep. By the end of the war, around 400 Navajo men had joined as Code Talkers. Roughly a dozen were killed in action.

Despite their service, when Nez came home he still could not vote, since Native Americans in New Mexico were not granted that right until 1948. He and the other Code Talkers were also ordered to keep their work secret until 1968, when the military finally retired the code.

After his service, Nez earned his high school diploma, studied fine arts at the University of Kansas, and later worked for the Veterans Administration for 25 years. He also served stateside during the Korean War. In 2001, President George W. Bush awarded Nez and the rest of the “First Twenty-Nine” with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Chester Nez was the last surviving member of the original group of Code Talkers. He passed away in June 2014, at the age of 93, leaving behind a legacy of bravery, sacrifice, and pride in his Navajo heritage.

References:
Bruchac, Joseph. “Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker’s Story.” NEA, www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america/find-your-book/chester-nez-and-unbreakable-code-navajo-code-talkers-story.
“Chester Nez.” Eisenhower Foundation, 10 May 1942, eisenhowerfoundation.net/soldier/chester-nez.
“Research Guides: Navajo Code Talkers: A Guide to First-Person Narratives in the Veterans History Project: Chester Nez.” Chester Nez - Navajo Code Talkers: A Guide to First-Person Narratives in the Veterans History Project - Research Guides at Library of Congress, guides.loc.gov/navajo-code-talkers/profiles/chester-nez.

Key words:
Innovation, Wartime, Courage, Perseverance, Freedom, Responsibility, Make a Difference, Take Risks for Others