Native American Code Talkers

Native American Code Talkers — page 3 — SOVIET UNION MONGOLIA MANCHURIA KOREA JAPAN TOKYO CHINA NAGASAKI BONIN ISLANDS OKINAWA IWO IMA BURMA PHILIPPINES MARIANA ISLANDS THAILAND FRENCH INDOCHINA SAIPAN GUAM BRUNE IALAYSIA BORNEO NEW GUINEA The tiny island of Iwo Jima became an important strategic base for Allied troops during World War

Native American Code Talkers — page 4 — The Axis forces included Japan Germany and Italy while the Allied forces included the United Kingdom the United States IWO JIMA SULFUR ISLAND the Soviet Union China and France World Iwo Jima means sulfur island The name comes War II had begun in 1939 when Germany from the sulfur smell similar to the odor of invaded Poland Alliances formed quickly rotten eggs which permeates the island The on both sides of the conflict though the battle for Iwo Jima began on February 19 1945 United States would not join the war until and lasted more than a month The battle which the United States won resulted in the deaths late in 1941 of approximately 21 000 Japanese troops and The United States held the Mariana 6 800 US troops Iwo Jima was managed by the Islands farther south It used B 29 bomber United States from 1945 until 1968 when it was planes to make raids on Japan from the returned to Japan Japan officially changed the name of the island to its Japanese form loto in Marianas These long distance planes could 2007 The island is still widely known as Iwo Jima make the 3 000 mile 4 800 km journey It is currently a Japanese military base and can in 16 hours However the US planes had be visited only with military permission Many to pass near Iwo Jima Japanese fighter of the Japanese who died in the battle are sti planes called zeros could take off from entombed in the catacombs on Iwo Jima Iwo Jima to intercept the B 29s and attempt to shoot them down Many of the crippled bombers crashed into the sea If the United States could capture Iwo Jima it would stop the attacks from Japanese Zeros The United States could take over the island as a base This would put medium range bombers close enough to attack Japan In addition short distance US fighter planes could accompany the heavy bombers flying to

Native American Code Talkers — page 5 — Japan to protect them Finally holding Iwo Jima would help the United States blockade Japan by air and sea The tiny island was a key to winning the war Since Iwo Jima was equally as important to Japan's success the island was heavily guarded Taking control of the tiny chunk of land would not be easy Lieutenant General Holland Smith commander of the US landing forces said This will be the bloodiest fight in Marine Corps history We'll catch seven kinds of hell on the beaches and that will be just GIANT BOMBERS the beginning The fighting will be fierce The Boeing B 29 Superfortress airplane was and the casualties will be awful but my an important tool in World War II Most B 29s Marines will take the damned island 2 carried ten machine guns a cannon and up to 20 000 pounds 9 000 kg of bombs They had a flying range of 3 700 miles 6 000 km This CODE TALKERS ON DECK allowed the planes to make long distance raids The Navajo code talkers were the United on Japan from bases in China or islands in the States secret weapon To make sure Pacific Ocean Japanese forces did not figure out their A B 29 called Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima Japan on August 6 battle plans US forces communicated 1945 A B 29 called Bockscar dropped another using code The code talkers translated atomic bomb on Nagasaki Japan three days messages for the commanders as US forces later Those devastating bombings ended the conducted air raids lasting ten weeks war The Enola Gay is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum NASM of Then battleships attacked the island the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC They fired more than 22 000 rounds of Bockscar is on display at the National Museum of shells and dropped more than 6 900 short the US Air Force in Ohio tons 6 300 metric tons of bombs before soldiers ever set foot on the island The US

Native American Code Talkers — page 6 — NAVAJO CEREMONIES Traditional Navajo people conduct surrounded by bodies those of their own ceremonies throughout the year some side and of the enemy They might have to lasting many days Songs and prayers often spend days in a foxhole next to the body of accompany day to day acts such as building a friend who had been killed Landing on an a home and planting crops island might require wading through floating The Navajo do not perform ceremonies bodies and crossing beaches littered with the dead when burying the dead however They believe the spirit of a person lingers after Many Navajo soldiers found comfort death These spirits are dangerous to anyone in traditional rituals They brought along who comes near the body Because of this pouches of sacred corn pollen and held belief the dead are buried in unmarked ceremonies during their tours of duty graves by people other than close family In wartime soldiers have constant contact with dead bodies Combat troops are often forces hoped to weaken the Japanese defense with this advanced action but only a land battle among soldiers would determine which side controlled the island In preparation 450 ships gathered with 70 000 US Marines ready to land As the convoy surrounded Iwo Jima some code talkers made their way to the ships decks at 4 30 a m They performed an ancient ritual greeting to Father Sun one of their gods The Navajo soldiers placed dabs of sacred corn pollen on their tongues and the tops of their heads and made an offering to the east This ritual was designed to give them clear speech clear thought and a safe path to walk 11

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