3 0 0 ▁during ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁eventually ▁ended ▁its ▁existence ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁ ▁Native ▁Americans ▁ ▁Native ▁Americans ▁played ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II ; ▁over ▁ 4 4 , 0 0 0 ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁from ▁many ▁different ▁tribes ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁military ▁between ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁The ▁most ▁celebrated ▁of ▁all ▁are ▁the ▁code ▁talk ers ▁from ▁the ▁N ava jo ▁Nation . ▁In ▁need ▁of ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁protect ▁communic ations ▁from ▁Japanese ▁e aves dro ppers , ▁the ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁raised ▁several ▁out f its ▁of ▁N ava jo ▁radi omen ▁who ▁could ▁use ▁their ▁native ▁language ▁as ▁a ▁code ▁on ▁the ▁battle field . ▁The ▁first ▁group , ▁which ▁consisted ▁of ▁twenty - n ine ▁men , ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁Philip ▁John ston , ▁a ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁veter an ▁who ▁had ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁N ava jo ▁res ervation ▁of ▁Arizona ▁and ▁was ▁fl uent ▁in ▁the ▁N ava jo ▁language . ▁John ston ▁and ▁the ▁" original ▁twenty - n ine ," ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁known , ▁are ▁cred ited ▁with ▁developing ▁the ▁original ▁code , ▁however , ▁it ▁was ▁modified ▁and ▁improved ▁by ▁others ▁as ▁the ▁war ▁progress ed . ▁ ▁At ▁least ▁ 5 4 0 ▁N ava jos ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁about ▁ 4 0 0 ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁trained ▁as ▁code ▁talk ers . ▁Because