Who is credited with pushing the idea to generals to use the Navajo language for military code?

Who is credited with pushing the idea to generals to use the Navajo language for military code?

• A. Philip Johnston
• B. General Westmoreland
• C. Chester Nimitz
• D. Omar Bradley

Answer: (D)

The idea was sparked by Philip Johnston, a civilian who grew up on the Navajo Reservation and knew the language intimately. He recognized that Navajo, with its complex syntax and lack of a widely taught written form, would be incredibly difficult for outsiders to decipher. Johnston presented this concept to the U.S. Marine Corps leadership, effectively pushing the idea up to the decision-makers, who then approved the use of Navajo as a code. From there, Navajo-speaking Marines were recruited to develop and use the code in critical Pacific battles, making it one of the war’s most effective secure communications tools. It wasn’t a general who originated the idea; it came from Johnston’s insight and push to the Marine Corps leadership.

The idea was sparked by Philip Johnston, a civilian who grew up on the Navajo Reservation and knew the language intimately. He recognized that Navajo, with its complex syntax and lack of a widely taught written form, would be incredibly difficult for outsiders to decipher. Johnston presented this concept to the U.S. Marine Corps leadership, effectively pushing the idea up to the decision-makers, who then approved the use of Navajo as a code. From there, Navajo-speaking Marines were recruited to develop and use the code in critical Pacific battles, making it one of the war’s most effective secure communications tools. It wasn’t a general who originated the idea; it came from Johnston’s insight and push to the Marine Corps leadership.