Navajo Code Talkers' Mural

Navajo Code Talkers served as U.S. Marines in World War II and defended the country by using the sacred Navajo language, with the Code Alphabet carried home from war to future generations as a symbol to perpetuate Navajo language and Navajo culture. The code alphabet included words assigned to letters, such as wol-la-chee for A, shush for B, moasi for C, be for D, dzeh for E, ma-e for F, klizzie for G, lin for H, tkin for I, tkele-cho-gi for J, klizzie-yazzie for K, dibeh-yazzie for L, na-as-tso-si for M, ncsh-chee for N, ne-ahs-jsh for O, bi-sodih for P, ca-yeilth for Q, gah for R, dibeh for S, han-zie for T, no-da-ih for U, a-keh-di-glini for V, gloe-ih for W, al-an-as-dzoh for X, tsah-as-zih for Y, and besh-do-gliz for Z. This alphabet was only part of a code that had over 400 terms, and these Navajo words were spelled in this way during World War II.

Gallup, New Mexico · United States