Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII

Ádin is a Navajo word that roughly translates to “no longer available” in English. In Code Talker, Nez explains that the Navajo language has no direct equivalent to the English word “death,” so it uses ádin instead to describe the state of being deceased. This linguistic choice reflects the Navajo cultural view that death represents a form of temporary separation rather than a permanent end. The term appears when Nez describes how his family spoke about his deceased mother, referring to her as though she were simply unavailable rather than gone forever.

A banzai attack was a Japanese military tactic involving mass infantry charges, often used as a last-resort offensive when Japanese forces faced defeat. Nez describes these attacks as particularly terrifying due to their ferocity and the screaming of the charging Japanese soldiers. These attacks reflected the Japanese military’s emphasis on death before surrender, as soldiers would typically fight to the death rather than allow themselves to be captured. In Guam, Lieutenant General Takashina organized a notably well-coordinated banzai attack against U.S. positions, distinguishing it from previous such attacks by its higher level of organization and tactical sophistication. The term “banzai” literally means “ten thousand years” in Japanese and was used as a battle cry expressing loyalty to the Emperor.