Play Book Tag discussion

Fascinating history told by one of the original Navajo code talkers sent to the Pacific during WWII. Apparently the Japanese kept cracking the American codes, not to mention that it took up to an hour to communicate and decode cause lethal misunderstandings between those bombing in the air and those on land. Chester and 28 hours were specifically recruited and locked in a room to create a secret code using the Navajo language which was both extremely complex and had been only a spoken language which made it impossible for the Japanese to study and break. The code talkers were able to transmit top secret info in minutes and ultimately were key to the US' success in the Pacific. They were also sworn to secrecy, not allowed to share their work with any of their fellow soldiers or families even when they returned home. They never got leave to alleviate the stress and trauma of the war unlike their fellow soldiers but the pride in the work by Nez and the other code talkers is beautiful in helping their country even with out any acknowledgement.

Nez grew up in Arizona and shares much about his family and way of life in the Navajo community. He was sent at an early age to the boarding schools sent to train the Native Americans to not be Navajo. Throughout the book, Nez compares being in the army and in war to boarding school and always the school comes out worse. He is very gracious throughout the book forgiving any racism towards his community and even not being allowed to vote or be served in a bar after his service. The only Code Talker killed in the war was killed by a fellow American who assumed he was Japanese which is also sad. Nez seems like a lovely gentleman and his story is truly astounding.

Nice review!