Fort Scott in Bourbon County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Unbreakable Code

The Chester Nez Project

Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 21, 2026

1. The Unbreakable Code Marker

Inscription.
Born on a New Mexico reservation in 1921, Chester Nez was raised Navajo and later forced to speak only English at boarding school. In 1942, during World War II, Marine recruiters visited his school, seeking Navajo boys who spoke English. Chester and 28 others joined, becoming the Navajo Code Talkers.

In the Pacific Theater, the Japanese cracked every U.S. code until the Code Talkers employed their native Navajo language to create a code impossible to decode. The two-layer encrypted code for battlefield communication was one even other Navajo speakers couldn't break. The Code Talkers memorized and fluently used this code, which played a significant role in the Allies' success.

"Anaai naatsosi beeldooh alhaa dildoni nishnaajigo nahdikadgo. Diiltaah."
Chester's first radio message on Guadalcanal translated to: "Enemy machine gun nest on your right flank. Destroy." American forces immediately removed the threat.

After the war, Chester used the GI Bill to finish high school at Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas, and study at Kansas University. His service in the Korean War interrupted his studies, but he returned

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to KU in the early 1950s until his GI Bill ran out, one year short of completing his degree. After the Code Talkers were declassified, he received the Congressional Gold Medal and his long-awaited college degree from KU. Chester Nez was the last survivor of the 29 original Navajo Code Talkers.

Erected by Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1921.

Location. 37° 50.482′ N, 94° 42.356′ W. Marker is in Fort Scott, Kansas, in Bourbon County. It can be reached from South Main Street south of East Wall Street. Marker is located in the courtyard behind the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7 S Main St, Fort Scott KS 66701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Kansas and specifically in Bleeding Kansas Border War Country.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

on the prairies,

and on the Southern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 21, 2026

2. The Unbreakable Code Marker

Marker is the center of the three vertical markers.

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Rising Against All Odds (here, next to this marker); "She Outranks Me" (here, next to this marker); WWII Navajo Code Talker (here, next to this marker); For All the Children/Para Todos Los Ninos (a few steps from this marker); Jurassic Mary (a few steps from this marker); The Man Who Saved a Billion Lives (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named "She Outranks Me" (a few steps from this marker); "I'm not leaving" (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Scott.

Also see . . .
1. Chester Nez on Wikipedia. (Submitted on October 12, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
2. Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes (official website). (Submitted on October 12, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 21, 2026

3. Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 12, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 12, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.