Code Talkers Day
~
August 14th ~ LETS NOT FORGET!
Long
before the days of the Second World War and America’s historic use of
Navajo Code Talkers, there was a group of men who helped shape the end
of the First World War. In the closing days of World War I, fourteen
Choctaw Indian men in the Army's Thirty-Sixth Division, trained to use
their language, helped the American Expeditionary Force win several key
battles in the Meuse-Argonne Campaign in France, the final big German
push of the war. The fourteen Choctaw Code Talkers were Albert Billy,
Mitchell Bobb, Victor Brown, Ben Caterby, James Edwards, Tobias Frazer,
Ben Hampton, Solomon Louis, Pete Maytubby, Jeff Nelson, Joseph
Oklahombi, Robert Taylor, Calvin Wilson, and Walter Veach.
The Choctaws were recognized as the first to use their native
language as an unbreakable code in World War I. The Choctaw language was
again used in World War II. Choctaws conversed in their language over
field radios to coordinate military positions, giving exact details and
locations without fear of German interception.
The
shameful act on the part of the United States is that although these men
were highly praised by their company and battalion commanders with
promises of medals, no further recognition for their services were ever
given.
There can be little doubt as to these men’s importance, not only
in the First World War, but also in the Second. If not for the success
of the Choctaw Code Talkers, how likely is it that another Native
American language, Navajo, would be used in the Second World War?
After induction into the army, seventeen Comanche men were
selected for the Signal Corps because of their unique language. The
Comanche Signal Corp included Charles Chibitty, Haddon Codynah, Robert
Holder, Forrest Kassanavoid, Wellington Mihecoby, Edward Nahquaddy,
Perry Noyabad, Clifford Otitovo, Simmons Parker, Melvin Permansu, Elhin
Red Elk, Roderick Red Elk, Larry Saupitty, Morris (Sunrise) Tabbyetchy,
Tony Tabbytite, Ralph Wahnee, and Willie Yackeschi. Trained in all
phases of communication, these members of the army's Fourth Signal
Division used the Comanche language to relay important messages that
could not be understood or decoded by the enemy during World War II.
The Navajo code played a crucial role in the U.S. victory in the
Pacific during World War II. Breaking codes as fast as they were worked
out, Japanese cryptographers never broke the code based on Navajo,
virtually an unwritten language in 1942.
Twenty-nine Navajos fluent in Navajo and English, some only
fifteen years old, constructed and mastered the Navajo code, which they
transmitted in simulated battles. Twenty-seven Code Talkers were shipped
to Guadalcanal, while two remained behind to train more Code Talkers.
Eventually, some 400 Navajos served in the Code Talker program.
Assigned to the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Divisions of the U.S. Marines,
they served in many campaigns in the Pacific theater, usually in two-men
teams conversing by field telephone and walkie-talkie to call in air
strikes and artillery bombardments, direct troop movements, report enemy
locations, direct fire from American positions, and transmit sensitive
military information.
The Sioux code talkers were army radio operators. There were
twelve of them. They made up a secret code using the Dakota, Lakota, and
Nakota language. They sent secret messages. The enemy could not
understand the code. Many American soldiers were saved because of the
code talkers.
1939 to 1945
The Army taps Hopi, Choctaw, Comanche, Kiowa, Winnebago,
Seminole, Navajo and Cherokee Americans to use their languages as secret
code in World War II. The Marines rely on Navajos to create and memorize
a code based on the complex Navajo language.
National Code Talkers Day is August 14th. Lets not forget to honor all
the code talkers!
Information was found on these sites if you'd like to read
more...
http://www.oklachahta.org/code%20talkers.htm
http://www.forties.net/codetalkers.html
http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/filmnotes/codetalkers.html
SDC – Journal #1398 8/4/09