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Title details for Code Talker by Judith Schiess Avila - Available

Code Talker

The First and Only Memoir by One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII

by Judith Schiess Avila
Chester Nez
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
In the 1920s, growing up on the Checkerboard Area of the Navajo Reservation wasn't easy. There was no electricity or indoor plumbing. The New Mexico summers were hot and the winters harsh. But the beautiful mesas provided bountiful land on which to raise sheep and goats, and the Navajo celebrated their spiritual connection to nature.His name wasn't Chester Nez. That was the English name he was assigned in kindergarten. And in boarding school at Fort Defiance, he was punished for speaking his native language, as the teachers sought to rid him of his culture and traditions. But discrimination didn't stop Chester from answering the call to defend his country after Pearl Harbor, for the Navajo have always been warriors, and his upbringing gave him the strength-both physical and mental-to excel as a Marine.During World War II, the Japanese had managed to crack every code the United States used. But when the Marines turned to its Navajo recruits to develop and implement a secret military language, they created the only unbroken code in modern warfare-and helped assure victory for the United States over Japan in the South Pacific.Chester Nez is the only surviving member of the original twenty-nine code talkers-and this is his story.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 15, 2014

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781452624983
      • File size: 277086 KB
      • Duration: 09:37:15

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      One of the original 29 Navajo code talkers discusses his experiences in WWII and his early life in the Checkerboard area of tribal lands in the Southwest. The book is written in the first person, a choice that provides a preponderance of simple sentences. David Colacci captures the flavor of the Navajo speakers with an even tone, free of strong emotion. That's not to say his reading is flat or uninteresting--quite the opposite. He gives listeners the feeling of being in the presence of a Native American storyteller who is relating pieces of tribal history and lore. His facility with Navajo words makes the reading flow naturally. The book and the reading make this chapter of American history come alive in a personal way. A chart of the declassified code can be downloaded from the publisher. R.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      David Colacci delivers a solid narration that doesn't seek to embellish this true story with vocal theatrics. During WWII, the Marine Corps recruited Navajo speakers to create a code the Japanese couldn't break. The author was one of the original code designers. It's a fascinating story, particularly the details about how the code itself was developed as well as Nez's frontline experiences as a code talker in the Pacific. The author uses mostly declarative sentences, making it easy to follow the story. Colacci handles the few Navajo expressions well. The audiobook is enhanced by an interview with the author, who died in 2014. He was the last living member of the original code talkers. The book was originally published in 2011, but this is a new production. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 1, 2011
      Written with code talker scholar Schiess Avila, Nez's fascinating memoir details his experience as one of the original 29 "code talkers"âa group of Native American soldiers who kept U.S. transmissions safe from the Japanese during WWII. The code they used was developed using Navajo, an entirely spoken language. Most Marines had no idea that Nez or his fellow Navajos were involved with the highly classified code talker mission, and trusted the team despite the era's prevalent racial segregation. Though Nez grew up speaking Navajo, he was sent to government-run boarding schools, and forced to learn English. His facility with both languages allowed him to advance during his career with the Marines, and he counts the day of his enlistment (while still in high school) as the luckiest day of his life. Still, when Nez returned home to New Mexico in 1945, it would be another three years before Native Americans were allowed to vote. Though the last section of the book drifts, readers will be captivated by stories of Nez's childhood and his days as a Marine.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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