At the Kayenta Burger King, a routine fast food stop in north-eastern Arizona unexpectedly reveals the extraordinary wartime story of the Navajo code talkers and their role in the Second World War.
Why Kayenta is usually a place to pass through
Kayenta, with the best will in the world, is the sort of city in which to fill up with petrol then drive through as quickly as possible.
It’s a dusty, sad looking place in north-eastern Arizona, notable largely as the turning off point for the astounding giant rock formations of Monument Valley.
An unexpected stop at Kayenta Burger King
But I was hungry, so I pulled over at Kayenta’s Burger King. And found a story that goes well beyond a Whopper with fries.
This particular Burger King is owned by Richard Mike, a member of the Navajo people.
The family history behind the memorabilia
His father, King Paul Mike, served in the marines during the Second World War, and collected a fair few souvenirs – it seems servicemen and women had a bizarre fondness for snaffling any kitschy Japanese-related propaganda and artefacts.
Some of that memorabilia is splashed over the walls of the Kayenta Burger King, but it’s the story that accompanies it which is properly incredible.
The Navajo role in the Second World War
King Paul Mike, along with many Navajo, had a crucial part to play in WWII.
The Japanese were very skilled at codebreaking. They’d managed to break the key army and army air forces codes, which played havoc with keeping plans secret.
Why the Navajo language became a military asset
So the marines went for a different tactic, deciding to use a code that was barely a code at all – it was the native Navajo language.
So Navajo were trained, and placed amongst the marines, plus in the communication and command bases. And their job was to just talk.
They’d transmit messages by telephone and radio in their native language, and the Japanese were too busy trying to crack a complex code that they didn’t know it could be something so simple.
How Navajo code words worked
Some words, of course, didn’t exist in the Navajo language, so rough alternatives were used.
“Tih-hi” (hummingbird) stood in for fighter plane. “Besh-lo” (iron fish) was used instead of submarine.
When an element of code was needed, Navajo words would be translated into English to give an initial letter.
And this meant that numerous words, used fairly arbitrarily, could mean the same thing – something incredibly difficult for a code-breaker listening in to compute.
Dibeh-yazzie (lamb), Ah-jad (leg) or Nash-doie-tso (lion), for instance, could be used for the letter L.
The dangers faced by the Navajo code talkers
The Navajo were highly valued, and assigned bodyguards, but there was a continuing problem – to many of the American troops, the Navajo looked rather Japanese.
There were numerous occasions where the bodyguards had to save their man from being captured or hauled into a POW camp.
The museum beside Kayenta Burger King
There’s a small museum next to the Burger King which goes into the history of the area, but it also has a video playing explaining the role of the Navajo in perhaps the Pacific campaign’s most crucial battle – Iwo Jima.
The importance of communication at Iwo Jima
Despite over two months of relentless pounding, US warships and bombers had made little impact on the entrenched Japanese defences.
The marine landing was something of a hiding to nothing, and the only way to make any advances from the beach was through pinpoint coordination at night.
Why Navajo communication changed the battle
Coordinating such an operation requires excellent, secure communication and the ability to make changes on the hoof.
Under normal circumstances, that would be a major problem.
Communicate by code, and too much time is lost during encryption and decryption. Talk normally for speed, clarity and adaptability, and the enemy knows exactly what’s going on.
But at Iwo Jima, the Navajo embedded with each group could communicate freely with each other, passing on messages that allowed movements to be coordinated quickly and effectively.
Because no decoding was necessary, that necessary swiftness and immediacy was all present and correct.
Delayed recognition for the Navajo code talkers
Though they played a vital part in the war, it took decades for the Navajo code-talkers to gain recognition.
The fact that they existed at all was only revealed by declassifying the secrets in 1968.
Never has a Burger King provided so much food for thought.
Kayenta Burger King visitor information
| Is there an entry fee? | No. The Burger King and the adjacent displays can be viewed during normal opening hours. |
|---|---|
| Is there a museum? | Yes, there is a small museum next to the Burger King covering local history and the Navajo code talkers. |
| How long should you allow? | 30–45 minutes is enough to view the displays and watch the video. |
| Is this suitable for children? | Yes, though the historical content is more meaningful for older children and adults. |
| Do you need to book? | No booking is required. |
Nearby attractions around Kayenta
- Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park: Iconic sandstone buttes and scenic drives just north of Kayenta.
- Navajo National Monument: Cliff dwellings and hiking trails showcasing ancestral Puebloan history.
- Goosenecks State Park: Dramatic river bends carved by the San Juan River.
- Mexican Hat Rock: A distinctive balancing rock formation near the Utah border.
- Four Corners Monument: The only place in the United States where four states meet.
For more fast food with a twist, the McDonalds in Taupo, New Zealand, has its own Douglas D3 plane.
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