In 1942, a group of just under 30 Navajo Marines arrived in Camp Elliott to learn a way to share messages in World War II. For the next few years several more divisions of Navajo code talkers would follow into such battlefields as Iwo Jima, The Guadalcanal, Guam and many more.

According to the Central Intelligence Agency, Germany and Japan had sent students to the U.S. to study Native languages after World War I, but learning of the complexities of the Navajo languages, the military opted to use Navajo enlistees.

These codes used by the Navajo code talkers, which included word substitutions for wartime vehicles and other war-oriented implements, are the only code in wartime history, never to have been broken.

In honor of National Navajo Code Talker Day – here is a list of words and the meanings of their codes that Navajo Code Talkers used in World War II. (The Navajo words are spelled out phonetically)

English Word              Navaho Word             Meaning

Corps                                      Din-neh-ih                Clan

Switchboard                          Ya-ih-e-tih-ih           Central

Dive Bomber                         Gini                            Chicken Hawk

Torpedo Plane                      Tas-chizzie                Swallow

Observation Plane               Me-as-jah                  Owl

Fighter plane                        Da-he-tih-hi              Humming Bird

Bomber                                  Jay-sho                       Buzzard

Alaska                                     Beh-hga                     With-Winter

America                                 Ne-he-Mah                Our Mother

Australia                               Cha-yes-desi             Rolled Hat

Germany                              Besh-be-cha-he       Iron Hat

Philippines                         Ke-yah-da-na-lhe     Floating Land

Aircraft Carrier                  Tsidi-Ne-Ye-Hi          Bird Carrier

Bombs                                    A-ye-shi                     Eggs

Amphibious Vehicle           Chal                            Frog

Battleship                             Lo-tso                         Whale

Destroyer                              Ca-lo                           Shark

Submarine                           Besh-lo                      Iron Fish

As the codes and words progressed along with wartime, letters were also introduced into the code and where previous meanings such as Chal, meant frog which was a code name for an amphibious vehicle, letters were represented by one to three English words of the same first letter, which were one of three different Navajo words. You can find more words here.

English Alphabet     Navajo Word             Literal Translation

A                                  Wol-La-Chee             Ant

A                                  Be-La-Sana                Apple

A                                  Tse-Nill                      Axe

B                                  Na-Hash-Chid          Badger

B                                  Shush                         Bear

B                                  Toish-Jeh                   Barrel

C                                  Moasi                         Cat

C                                  Tla-Gin                      Coal

C                                  Ba-Goshi                   Cow

D                                 Be                               Deer

D                                 Chindi                        Devil

D                                 Lha-Cha-Eh             Dog

E                                  Ah-Jah                     Ear

E                                  Dzeh                        Elk

E                                  Ah-Nah                   Eye

I                                   Tkin                         Ice

I                                   Yeh-Hes                 Itch

I                                   A-Chi                        Intestine

V                                  A-Keh-Di-Glini         Victor

Can you pass the CIA test?

On the Central Intelligence Agency website – yes that website, they ask visitors to crack the code of the battle Navajo Code Talkers helped the U.S. in gaining a victory:

Tkin-Gloe-lh-A-Kha Ah-Ya-Tsinne-Tkin-Tsin-Tliti-Tse-Nill  (ANSWER: Iwo Jima)

Follow Vincent Schilling on Twitter - @VinceSchilling.