Interview:
Captain William Lynch,
Retired Intelligence Officer
Click Here to listen to the interview.
February 10, 2005
Bill Lynch: Hello
Hannah Cooper: Hi, my name is Hannah Cooper. I’m Don and Jerry Zieglar’s granddaughter.
Bill Lynch: Oh yes Hannah.
Hannah Cooper: I’m doing research on the Navajo Code Talkers for the National History Day Competition.
Bill Lynch: I understand you are Hannah.
Hannah Cooper: Yeah, um, is it ok if I record the interview to use it on my web page?
Bill Lynch: Sure
Hannah Cooper: OK, um. What was your title in the Marines?
Bill Lynch: Well, I enlisted as a private.
Hannah Cooper: OK and what was your unit?
Bill Lynch: Well, Hannah, I spent time in a couple units. My first was in the First Battalion of the first Marine regiment, of the first Marine division. I was a Second Lieutenant. I was an intelligence officer and company commander of headquarter company.
Hannah Cooper: Oh, and where was your unit assigned?
Bill Lynch: Well, in North Carolina in what was known as a tent camp in those days.
Hannah Cooper: Oh, how many Code Talkers were in your unit?
Bill Lynch: Hannah I think there were thirteen.
Hannah Cooper: Really, do you remember any of their names?
Bill Lynch: Yes I do.
Hannah Cooper: What were they?
Bill Lynch: Well there was one named Gatewood, I think he was named after an American general. And there were two brothers named Toledo, and the fourth one I remember was named Hobejay Cattlechaser, h-o-b-e-j-a-y Cattlechaser.
Hannah Cooper: Do you know if any of them were original 29 Code Talkers?
Bill Lynch: I don’t know. I suspect they may have been.
Hannah Cooper: When did you work with them?
Bill Lynch: Well beginning in about April of 1942.
Hannah Cooper: And what were they used for?
Bill Lynch: They were used for communications. They would go up to carry radios, TBYs and TBXs. The TBX was a heavier, cumbersome unit. But they were used primarily as runners. From the command post to another given place to place to carry a message orally.
Hannah Cooper: Do you think that Philip Johnston’s recommendation to use the Navajos for oral communication was a good idea?
Bill Lynch: Well I don’t know who Johnston was.
Hannah Cooper: He was the guy who wrote the letter to the US Marine commander, who suggested the use of the Navajos.
Bill Lynch: I see. Well Hannah it didn’t work out well, for this reason, when we went in to combat we were fighting against the Japanese and therefore anybody that looked different from, we’ll call them white men, were regarded with suspicion and therefore if we had a runner out with a message we’d have to send another Marine with him. So it was not an efficient means of communication.
Hannah Cooper: Oh, how do you think the Navajo Code Talkers impacted the war?
Bill Lynch: I would say the effect was minimal.
Hannah Cooper: Oh, do you keep in touch with any of the Code Talkers that you knew?
Bill Lynch: Oh, no, no. It’s been a long time Hannah. 1942 to 2005, that’s 62 years. Probably most of them deceased. Most of my friends are deceased.
Hannah Cooper: I understand that you worked with Frank and Preston Toledo and that they were in your unit. Do you remember anything special that they accomplished?
Bill Lynch: Nothing special. I remember their physiognomy. They were rather typical of the Navajo, they were short. Hobejay Cattlechaser was tall. I remember when I inspected the company I’d walk down the line and I wouldn’t even need to look at their faces. I could tell by the condition of their weapons that they were part of the Navajo. They put too much oil on their rifles.
Hannah Cooper: Thank you very much. I really appreciated it.
Bill Lynch: Well I wish you luck.