Philip Johnston (code talker) facts for kids
Philip Johnston (born September 14, 1892, in Topeka, Kansas; died September 11, 1978, in San Diego, California) had a very important idea during World War II. He suggested using the Navajo language as a secret code. This code was used by special soldiers called Navajo code talkers in the Pacific Ocean area.
Philip Johnston's Early Life
Philip Johnston was born in Topeka, Kansas, in 1892. His father, William Johnston, was a missionary. In 1896, Philip's family moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. His father worked with the Navajo people on their reservation.
Young Philip grew up playing with Navajo children. He learned to speak the Navajo language very well. This skill became very important later in his life. In 1901, Philip even helped his father and Navajo leaders. He was their translator when they met President Theodore Roosevelt in Washington, D.C. They asked the President to add more land to the Navajo Reservation.
Around 1909, Philip went to Northern Arizona Normal School. This school is now Northern Arizona University. He earned a degree there. In 1918, he joined the U.S. Army. He trained in California and then went to France for World War I. During this time, he might have heard about other Native American groups, like the Comanche, using their languages as codes.
Later, Philip studied at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He earned a degree in civil engineering in 1925. After that, he worked for the Los Angeles water department.
Even though Philip worked in Los Angeles, he stayed in touch with the Navajo people. When the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States entered World War II. Philip read about the U.S. Army using the Comanche language for secret messages. He then thought that the Navajo language could also be used this way.
Philip presented his idea to the United States Marine Corps (USMC). They asked him to show how it would work. Philip found four Navajo men who were working in Los Angeles. He arranged a demonstration to show how useful the Navajo language could be for military messages.
During the demonstration, the Navajo men showed how they could send messages. They realized that some military words did not have direct Navajo equivalents. So, they decided to use Navajo words to represent English letters or military terms. For example, a Navajo word for "turtle" might mean "tank." They quickly created a system for this.
The Navajo men were put into separate rooms with field phones. They sent common military messages back and forth. They spoke the messages in Navajo, and the other person translated them back into English. The messages were sent and received very quickly and accurately.
General Clayton Barney Vogel of the Marine Corps was very impressed. He asked to recruit 200 Navajo men for this program. However, he was first allowed to recruit only 30 Navajos for a test program.
On May 4, 1942, 29 Navajo recruits boarded a bus. They went to San Diego, California, for Marine Corps training. After seven weeks, they graduated on June 27, 1942. They then went to Camp Elliot to develop the code. These first 29 Navajos, along with three others who joined later, worked together. They created the special code using Navajo words and phrases. They were guided by a Marine Corps officer who knew about codes.
Because the test program was so successful, the Marine Corps was allowed to recruit more Navajos. On August 25, 1942, they began recruiting the full 200 men.
After their training, the first group of Navajo code talkers arrived at Guadalcanal on September 18, 1942. They played a vital role in the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Philip Johnston himself asked to join the Marine Corps to help with the program. His request was approved on September 22, 1942. He became a Staff Sergeant and helped manage the secret code talker school. In late 1942, he and another code talker, Corporal John A. Benally, recruited more Navajos. On December 7, 1942, the Navajo Communication School officially began under Philip's supervision.
Philip Johnston had the amazing idea to use the Navajo language. However, he was not yet in the military when the first group of Navajos actually created the code's vocabulary.
Later Years
Philip Johnston passed away on September 11, 1978. He died at a hospital in San Diego, California. He is buried in Glendale, California.
See also
- Navajo Nation
- Navajo
- Code talker
- Code-talker paradox
