Who is credited with pushing the idea to generals to use the Navajo language for military code?

• A. Philip Johnston
• B. General Westmoreland
• C. Chester Nimitz
• D. Omar Bradley

Answer: (D)

The idea was sparked by Philip Johnston, a civilian who grew up on the Navajo Reservation and knew the language intimately. He recognized that Navajo, with its complex syntax and lack of a widely taught written form, would be incredibly difficult for outsiders to decipher. Johnston presented this concept to the U.S. Marine Corps leadership, effectively pushing the idea up to the decision-makers, who then approved the use of Navajo as a code. From there, Navajo-speaking Marines were recruited to develop and use the code in critical Pacific battles, making it one of the war’s most effective secure communications tools. It wasn’t a general who originated the idea; it came from Johnston’s insight and push to the Marine Corps leadership.