Which Native American veteran group created an unbroken military code during World War II?

The Navajo Code Talkers created and used a military code based on the Navajo language during World War II. Navajo Marines developed a specialized vocabulary that allowed battlefield messages to be transmitted quickly and securely.

The code was not simply ordinary Navajo spoken over a radio. It included code words for military concepts and equipment, because many modern terms had no direct Navajo equivalents. The system helped protect Marine communications in the Pacific.

The program remained classified for decades, so many participants did not receive public recognition immediately after the war. Congress later honored the Navajo Code Talkers with Congressional Gold Medals in 2000, with silver medals for other qualified participants.

“Code Talkers” can refer to Native American service members from several nations, including Choctaw veterans of World War I. The Navajo program is the best-known World War II example, but it was part of a wider history of Indigenous military service.