Description
In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss Windtalkers (2002), a World War II film inspired by the real Navajo Code Talkers who served in the Pacific theatre. Set primarily during the Battle of Saipan, the film follows Navajo Marines using their language as an unbreakable military code. Unfortunately, the main character is white. Why?
Still, we’re happy to talk about Code Talkers.
Part of our WW2 in the Pacific series: Explore more films and series on the Pacific theatre →
Windtalkers trailer
Historical context for Windtalkers
Navajo Code Talkers
In 1942, the U.S. Marine Corps began training a small group of 29 Navajo men to transmit battlefield messages using a code based on the Navajo language. To make interception even harder, everyday words were given specific military meanings, adding a second layer of encryption. What started as an experiment quickly expanded into the largest Indigenous code-talking programme in the U.S. military, with roughly 375 to 420 Navajo Code Talkers serving across the Pacific.
The Navajo code proved effective. It was fast, reliable and never broken by Japanese forces. Navajo Code Talkers took part in many of the major Marine Corps campaigns of the war between 1942 and 1945, including Guadalcanal, Saipan, Guam, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
The Battle of Saipan (June–July 1944)
Fought between 15 June and 9 July 1944, the Battle of Saipan marked a turning point in the Pacific War. The island’s capture allowed the United States to build airfields for B-29 bombers, bringing Japan within direct bombing range. The fighting was brutal, with heavy military casualties and civilian deaths. During the campaign, Code Talkers relayed urgent messages for artillery, troop movements, and air support.
Indigenous Service, Secrecy, and Recognition
After the war, many Navajo Code Talkers returned home to continued discrimination. Because their work remained classified until 1968, they were unable to speak publicly about their service for decades. Formal recognition came slowly: legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the original 29 Code Talkers was signed in 2000, and the medals were presented in July 2001. 14 August is now National Navajo Code Talkers Day.
Navajo were not the only Code Talkers; the U.S. military also used other Indigenous languages during the war, including Comanche, Meskwaki, Chippewa, Oneida, Hopi, and Mohawk.
Canada relied on Indigenous people and languages as well. Mostly Cree was used for secure communications during the Second World War, but this service remained largely unacknowledged for decades and Canada’s Code Talkers still have no official recognition for their service.
More about Code Talkers
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