The handful of Navajo war veterans who participated in filmmaker George Colburn’s documentary were not especially keen to do so, as it meant returning to the islands of Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Saipan, and Guam, which were conquered by the U.S. and its allies during World War II at the cost of many lives and much bloodshed. Still, the Native American vets were lured back with the aim of helping their young family members and military personnel understand what happened in those battles, and how Navajo code talk was so crucial to the overall war effort. The story of the code is itself fascinating, especially given that these men, along with many other indigenous Native Americans, were forced to give up their native language in school and speak English only. So it was more than ironic that the U.S. government asked them to enlist in the military and use their unwritten Navajo language to create an indecipherable code that the enemy could never break. The small group of vets spend a fair amount of time talking about their subsequent lives and the ghosts that continue to haunt them from their war years, and the family members accompanying them on this trip are grateful for the opportunity to hear these stories that are so hard to tell. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
Navajo Code Talkers of World War II
(2018) 68 min. DVD: $19.99. DRA. Vision Video (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 6
Navajo Code Talkers of World War II
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: