Chester Nez - Navajo Code Talker

"I am very happy to say that I have done my duty for our country"- Chester Nez. Chester grew up in a very small community in New Mexico, where if he spoke Navajo in public he would be punished. That is why when he and the other 29 chosen Navajo speakers were surprised when they were asked to create an unbreakable code using Navajo for World War 2. They first created the alphabet which they based off animals from English and translated into Navajo. To be able to be a code talker you had to be able to speak under pressure, speak well English and Navajo, and had to be able to remember things perfectly.  If we took the time to think about what they had to do to create the code, I think we would be surprised at how it was done. Besides looking through their eyes, it was also a huge turning point for Chester's life. It was a turning point because it made him very well known and if he wasn't asked to come up with the code, he wouldn't be known very well. Another thing to consider about Chester is how he is similar to Louis Zamperini from the novel Unbroken.  When they were both younger they each had something special about them. Louis was training to be an Olympian and already broke many running records, while;e Chester was a Navajo Indian and spoke Navajo which was rare. At the end of the war Chester was awarded with the Congressional Gold Medal, which was given to the other 28 code talkers but only four were able to show up and accept the award. When Chester was asked how everyone treated each other during his time in the war, he replied by saying that they all treated each other like brothers.