# MORSE CODE & WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN IT


## THERE’S A LOT MORE TO MORSE CODE THAN S.O.S., AND LEARNING IT MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE SOMEDAY

In the modern day, Morse code seems like an obsolete form of communication. After all, when was the last time the postman delivered a telegram to your door? This messaging system had already begun its decline into obsolescence by the late 1800s, so it probably hasn't happened since then.

To this day, we believe that the ability to communicate via Morse code remains an extremely valuable skill. Even though Morse code may seem archaic, it is a simple alphabet of dots and dashes that can be used to communicate across language barriers and to convey essential information covertly. You might even be able to save your life someday if you learn it someday.

## HOW TO LEARN MORSE CODE

Survivalists should learn Morse code, but it's not an easy skill to master. It is traditional to spend hours studying and memorizing charts like the one above to learn this language. If you make a mistake, there is no way to correct it or receive feedback. You don't even have to leave your couch to learn. Fortunately, there's an easier way.

Morse code is an online free tool provides practical (and even fun) lessons on Morse code. Your mouse or spacebar can be used to sound out each letter or word, and the program gives you instant audio and visual feedback as you do so. This tool can take a lot of time, but we think it's worth it.

## JEREMIAH DENTON'S MORSE CODE MESSAGE

The Morse code can help save lives. This is a bold claim, so we are going to share some incredible examples.

It was in July 1965 when U.S. Naval Aviator Jeremiah Denton was shot down over Thanh Hoa and taken to prison by the North Vietnamese. As a result, Denton and his navigator spent almost eight years as POWs at the now-infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prison camp.

Denton would later recount being beaten with fists and fan belts by his captors, as well as being roped in and cut off from blood circulation. As he wrote, "I prayed that I could maintain my sanity until I was released.". I couldn't even give in to their demands, because there were none.”

A televised propaganda press conference in 1966 was also forced upon Denton by his North Vietnamese captors. As he spoke in front of the camera, he blink in Morse code to spell out "T-O-R-T-U-R-E". A defiant and inventive act that secretly informed the United States Military of the true circumstances he had faced.

It was Denton's coded message that was the first clear confirmation that North Vietnamese forces tortured their prisoners, and it may have changed the course of the Vietnam War. He was eventually released from captivity, went on to become a U.S. Senator, and lived to the age of 89 back home in Virginia Beach.

## “A BETTER DAYS” AND THE MUSIC MORSE CODE

“That's great,” you might be thinking, “but that was 50 years ago.” Here's a recent example of Morse code saving lives.

A Communist guerrilla movement known as the [FARC](https://www.britannica.com/topic/FARC) had carried out assassinations, kidnappings, ransoms, and other terrorism activities in Colombia since 1964. To establish a new regime in Colombia, they sought to destabilize the current government.

Many soldiers were kidnapped and held in a brutal hostage camp deep in the jungle by the FARC in 2010. In light of this, Colombian army Colonel Jose Espejo began communicating with his stranded men, telling them rescue was near, but without revealing their intentions to the FARC.

Since guerrillas often listened to music in their jungle camps, it was decided to broadcast a message to the hostage soldiers over the radio. As most FARC guerrillas lack military communications training, Colonel Espejo assumed they would not know Morse code. However, many of the captured Colombian soldiers were familiar with Morse code.

As part of the project, Espejo collaborated with a composer, musicians, and various radio stations to produce a song called "Better Days." It included a Morse code message that said: "19 people rescued, next to you.". "Don't give up." The code was a synthesizer interlude that appeared three times throughout the song, and the lyrics even hinted at its existence.

More than 3 million people heard the song, which eventually reached the hostages. Several soldiers were able to escape the camp and reach Colombian military forces nearby thanks to the plan's success. According to the Mirror, "We know of hostages who heard the message and escaped, providing information that led to the release of more hostages." The FARC eventually announced a unilateral ceasefire on July 8th, 2015.

## HOW MORSE CODE WORKS

Understanding how Morse code originated can help you understand its practical uses.

Morse code's history is forever linked to that of another invention: the electrical telegraph. Samuel Morse invented the most widely adopted telegraph system in 1837, so it should come as no surprise that this is the case. Essentially, Morse's telegraph work involved sending electrical pulses over long-distance wires to another telegraph machine on the other end.

The Morse alphabet was developed by Morse and his assistant, Alfred Vail, to communicate via the newly-invented telegraph system. The letters were formed by combining short pulses, also known as dots, and longer pulses, known as dashes. There were also pauses added between words to indicate space.

It became the most popular long-distance communication technology until the telephone was adopted widely in the early 20th century. However, morse code continues to be used today in many fields despite the end of the telegraph.