Wednesday

This Navajo code talker spoke about diversity strengthening the USA — right in front of Trump. Peter MacDonald was born in Arizona, U.S.A in may of 1928. His clan is Hashk’aa ( Yucca Fruit) born to Bitahníí (They are within themselves).

He grew up in the Teec Nos Pos, Four corners area. He went to boarding school in Shiprock,NM and dropped out in the 6th grade because all the teachers were mean to the Navajos. Raised among traditional sheepherders and trained as a medicine man for 1 year.

MacDonald entered the Marine Corps as a Navajo language code talker during World War II. After the war, MacDonald earned an electrical engineering degree at the University of Oklahoma. Upon graduation, his acumen secured a job with Howard Huges at the Hughes Aircraft Company,

He was first elected Navajo Tribal Chairman in 1970. MacDonald served as Navajo Nation Tribal Chairman for four terms between the years 1970 to 1986.

Because Navajo has a complex grammar, it is not nearly mutually intelligible enough with even its closest relatives within the Na-Dene family to provide meaningful information. It was still an unwritten language, and Johnston thought Navajo could satisfy the military requirement for an undecipherable code.

 Navajo was spoken only on the Navajo lands of the American Southwest. Its syntax and tonal qualities, not to mention dialects, made it unintelligible to anyone without extensive exposure and training. One estimate indicates that at the outbreak of World War II, fewer than 30 non-Navajo could understand the language.


The Navajo code talkers were commended for their skill, speed, and accuracy demonstrated throughout the war. At the Battle of Iwo Jima, Major Howard Connor, 5th Marine Division signal officer, had six Navajo code talkers working around the clock during the first two days of the battle. These six sent and received over 800 messages, all without error. Connor later stated, "Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.

VIDEO

Responses to "Navajo Code Talker's speech at the White House: Diversity is what makes America great"

  1. Unknown says:

    Thank you for your service, especially to a Country not worthy of your help.Thank you for putting someone into perhaps learning humility. Nah that's probably too much to ask, but you did try ;-)

Write a comment

Stats

Archives

Pages