Welcome to the latest edition of Igniting Your Dynamic Self with Wendy Bjork. As an international bestselling author, inspirational speaker and guide to others, as well as founder of heartsofwellness.com, it is my mission to help others make forward progress towards living their best lives!
How The Code Talkers Saved the USA
When the Japanese military broke Allied code used for messages on the Pacific front in World War II, the Marine Corps turned to 29 men from the Navajo nation to develop an unbreakable code. They were called the Navajo Code Talkers, and their service helped to save countless American lives.
The Navajo Code Talkers used their native language to communicate and keep the enemy from intercepting important messages on the battlefield. They were vital to the success of the Marines during the Guadalcanal campaign, and they also served at other crucial battles such as Tarawa, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima. They communicated by telephone and radio, and the code was based on the letters of the Navajo alphabet. Each letter corresponded to an English word or a military term. For example, “wol-la-chee” (ant) was the word for the letter A.
The Navajo Code Talkers were honored in 2001 with Congressional Gold Medals, the highest honor Congress can give. However, many Americans do not know that members of nearly 32 other Native tribes served as Code Talkers in World War I and World War II and have never been formally recognized for their service to the country. Tribes serving as Code Talkers during both the Pacific and European campaigns included Comanche, Cheyenne, Cherokee, Osage, Lakota, Dakota, Chippewa, Oneida, Sac and Fox, Meskwaki, Hopi, Assiniboine, Kiowa, Pawnee, Akwesasne, Menominee, Creek, Cree Seminole Tribes and other unlisted tribes. In World War II, additional tribes aided in the Code Talker efforts, including Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, and Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe.
Code Talkers were not only highly skilled at their jobs, but they were also dedicated to serving the country and community. After the war, many continued to serve in various positions of leadership, including educators and high school principals. They were often role models for young people of all races and backgrounds.
The men who served as code talkers endured many hardships before, during, and after the war. They were subjected to government-run boarding schools as children, and they struggled with discrimination in the workplace after the war ended. In addition, their nations did not gain the right to vote in Arizona until 1948, New Mexico until 1953, and Utah until 1957.
Native Americans are taught from childhood to protect Turtle Island – North America. They feel they lost the land once and they are not going to do it again. The Code Talkers are an inspiration to us all, and we hope that the story of their bravery will inspire others to serve their communities and our country. They are commended for their high level of service, in defending the lands that were taken away once, never to be taken again.
If there is other support I can provide in living your best life, you may download your copy of 30-Day Blueprint Towards Living Your Best Life . Discovering and living by your personalized playbook are important steps we can create together!
As a best selling author, inspirational speaker and Nationally Syndicated Columnist, Wendy Bjork empowers women to see beyond whatever challenges they are navigating.
She inspires them to boldly live in acceptance, live healthy and free as she teaches them to see life in a different way to fulfill their dreams that have been left on the back-burner for far too long.
Her HeartsofWellness.com platform is the place for women to begin receiving the support they are seeking as they create their roadmap back to freedom and wellness with Wendy lighting their path.
As a pioneer in advocacy and mentorship, Wendy is leading a global revolution of women walking in purpose and peace as she illumines their path ahead with the light of HOPE: Harmony, Options, Peace & Empowerment.
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