(08-17-2022, 01:36 PM)mikesez Wrote: When I first heard of the wind talkers, I assumed that they simply translated the messages into their language and a Navaho on the other end would translate the message back.
Now that I've actually studied more about the art of translation, and communications in general I know that would not have been any way for a military to communicate.  So much gets lost in translation and the personal choices of the translators and the things that a language might not have a word for.  Not to mention the things that might be misheard with radio static.  They would have made unacceptable mistakes under good conditions, let alone on the front lines of battle with bullets flying above their heads.
The Navaho were thoroughly trained and disciplined to read out the messages in English, letter by letter, using a Navaho code word for each letter and each number.  And they had to learn how to do it fast with bullets flying and staticy connections.  Amazing work they did.