Latest Yellowhorse Collectible Dedicated to Navajo Code Talkers
OutdoorHub 07.30.13
As always, the latest collectible by David Yellowhorse is a work of art, combining a Springfield 1911 semi-automatic pistol and a Bear OPS Constant fixed-blade knife, embellished with Southwest gems and nickel silver.
What makes this one special, the famous Navajo artisan has created this set to honor the famed Navajo Code Talkers of World War II.
Yellowhorse has used turquoise, orange spiny oyster, Black Jet, bloody jasper and nickel silver to convert weapons into dramatic artworks. For effective display, they are encased in a dark wood-framed unit.
The Springfield 1911 .45 caliber pistol has a 5” barrel and 7-round capacity. Yellowhorse has used turquoise for the bullets in this display. The Bear OPS Constant has a 4-1/4” modified drop-point blade with black titanium coating. The famous scene of the Marines raising the American flag on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima is the featured design in both handles.
“I have always felt a special sense of pride in what this small band of warriors accomplished for our country during the island battles of World War II,” Yellowhorse said. “My hope is that this will be a fitting tribute, which collectors will treasure for its beauty and its meaning.”
The Navajo Code Talkers were young Navajo men who created an unbreakable code from the ancient language of their people and changed the course of modern history.
At a time when America’s best cryptographers were falling short, they fashioned the most ingenious and successful code in military history. They drew upon their proud warrior tradition to brave the dense jungles of Guadalcanal and the exposed beachheads of Iwo Jima.
The code they created at Camp Pendleton was as ingenious as it was effective. It originated as approximately 200 terms—growing to over 600 by war’s end—and could communicate in 20 seconds what took coding machines of the time 30 minutes to do. It consisted of native terms that were associated with the respective military terms they resembled.
For example, the Navajo word for turtle meant “tank,” and a dive-bomber was a “chicken hawk.” To supplement those terms, words could be spelled out using Navajo terms assigned to individual letters of the alphabet.
Only 25 of these beautiful gun-and-knife sets will be handcrafted, and they will be serially numbered from 01 to 25. Serial number allocation will be on a first-come, first-served basis. A certificate of authenticity accompanies each set. Price: $6,000. To order, call (870) 236-0133.
