The Code Talkers
A Ryan Vooris Screenplay
Narrated and Staring Graham Green
Directed by Leon Gast
"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
BLACKNESS.
FADE INTO a large rolling field of wheat. It is the island of Guadalcanal in the Southern Pacific. This is the place where one of the great battles of WWII occurred. It is now long silent.
We cut to soft blue waves breaking against the aged beach. It is a silent and beautiful sight.
GREENE
Just over half a century ago this beach was stained with the blood of a thousand Marines that assailed the Japanese stronghold of Guadalcanal. For six days and five nights, the forces of the United States struggled against the entrenched enemy. Finally in a brave assault on Wazi Hill, the United States won the day and island.
We now see Wazi Hill in the early morning light. It's small green rounds glisten as the sun ekes over the mountains in the west. Slowly we fade to aged black and white news footage of the event. We see spent GI's around the hill, fresh from their victory over the Japanese.
GREENE
The island had fallen, but it was only one in many of the strategy called Island Hopping that the United States used to defeat Japan in the great struggle of World War II. But what this footage of GI's tired and worn in victory will not show is the untold story of 50,000 Navajo Native American's that added in their victory.
The film now cuts to some aged home film footage of Navajo's in the Southern United States.
GREENE
It starts here in the hills and plains of the Southwest, where Navajo Indians dwelled for hundreds of years. Living in make-shift houses and adobes born of their own hands and sweat, they lived in small tribal communities. Assistance from the United States in the early 20th century to the Navajo, for the grave injustices done to their people and so many others just a century before, was refused.
We now see a young Navajo boy running up to his father and hugging him. The father leads him into a small hut, where he talks with an elder chieftain.
GREENE
Living in peace and solitude, the Navajo continued their accent culture and language. That would bring them such great fame.
We now cut to a black and white overhead shot of the Pentagon building in Washington DC.
GREENE
Here in the plain, dull white walls of the United States Pentagon a plan was developed in the fall of 1939.
Cut to film footage of a battle raging in Eastern Europe.
GREENE
The great fight for control of Europe and, in fact, the world had already began. The involvement of the United States at that time had not occurred, but the Military minds of the United States Armed Forces was intelligent enough to forsee it's grave possibilities.
We cut now to more war footage of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.
GREENE
One of the largest problems for the United States at the onset of the First World War was its military code. The code at that time was a jumble of reversed English combined with Latin. After the conclusion of the war, the American's and English, who also used the same code, discovered that the German's had not had difficulty in breaking it. So with that in mind and the involvement of the United States in the second World War very possible, the minds of the US Pentagon set out to devise a new code for use in the fall of 1939.
We are now back on the sun dried territory of the Navajo. It is early morning and the sun is low in the western sky. Two military jeeps pull up into the center of the modestly large Navajo village. Two military man in full dress, leap from the jeep and are met by an older Navajo man. The same man we saw with the young boy earlier.
GREENE
It was decided by the intelligence of minds we shall never know, that the ancient language, little known outside their own territories, of the Navajo Indians maybe a suitable code for the United States Military. But such an idea could only take root with the assistance and likely death of many a proud and noble Navajo.
Now we see the military men in council with the Navajo chief.
GREENE
The Navajo eventually agreed, but not for any sum of money that the military of the United States could offer. It is often debated and discussed among the intellectual historians of this country why the Navajo decided to assist the war effort, but as the Navajo often say in their own language. 'You do not ask why the bird flies and the warrior must die.' So with the willing assistance of the Navajo, a military camp was established in northern Arizona. There, under the command of General Norman Gibbon, some 10,000 Navajos were instructed as to their role in the possible war effort.
We see the abandoned camp in Arizona. It is now just a shadow of its former glory.
GREENE
It was here that the Navajo's who participated in the war effort were given the nickname of The Code Talkers. Often throughout the war, that was not far off, army men would refer to them as such.
Again now we see the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
GREENE
When President Roosevelt announced the day that will live in infamy and the United States now direct involvement in the Second World War, The Code Talkers were sent into regiments and brigades throughout the navy, army and marines. Always they were assigned in groups of three or four in order for them not to be separated completely from their kinfolk. Many would travel with the army into battle and fray, as an equal number stayed behind on the ships of the navy or other battle stations where communication from the field would be routed to.
Cut to the open plains once again of some unnamed Pacific Island. It's tall green trees sway in the wind.
GREENE
From island to island in the South Pacific and field to field across the countries of Europe the code talkers spread the wings. The history books hardly record one battle of memory where the Navajo did serve as the code transmitters, receivers, and interpreters. General Dwight D. Eisenhower would say years later…
We now cut to tape of Eisenhower at a press conference he speaks:
EISENHOWER
The Navajo were, of course, instrumental in our ability to achieve a decisive advantage over our opponents. They are must certainly one of the most unheralded…and one of the most uncredited heroes of the war.
GREENE
A decisive advantage is only the beginning of the credit due to the Navajo.