Welcome to my pages on "codetalkers". I happened upon this subject after it being mentioned to me by a friend and decided to look up some facts. From there I got even more interested and decided to do these pages. Most of what you see is already known by many but there are some facts little known by the general public. Anyhow keep reading and I hope you find this information as interesting as I did.

 

The first code talkers: One of the facts people are led to believe is that during WWII was the first time codetalkers were used. Lets move back to WWI and see the real facts. During WWI in the closing days of the war, fourteen Choctaws played a vital role in helping the American Expititionary Forces win several important battles in the Mousse-Argonne campaign. They 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. Eight of these men were serving in the same battalion, and during the ending stages of the war they were practically surrounded by the germans. It was also a known fact that the germans had "broken" the existing American radio codes and had the telephone lines tapped. To make matters worse they were also capturing one messenger out of every four that was serving as runners between the various companies on the battle line.

 

Captain Lawrence, who was at the time commander of one of the companies happened upon two choctaws conversing in their native language. Thus was the start of how code talkers began. After enquiries as to how many choctaws there were in the batallion and finding out if there were any at headquarters Captain Lawrence put the wheels in motion. Captain Lawrence had his commanding officer put Ben Carterby and Pete Maytubby, the then two choctaws present at headqauarters, on standby.

 

Insructing Lewis and Bobb, two of the choctaws present at camp, he gave them a message and had them call it in to headqarters using their native tongue. After wording the message Private First Class Mitchell Bobb via field telephone, delivered the first choctaw code message. It was received by Ben Carterby at headquarters who the translated it back into English for his Battalion Commander. Within a short period of time the Choctaws had been shifted around until there was a least one at each company headquarters.

 

It took a mere 24 hours and the Choctaw language had been put into service, and it was this event that changed the tide of the battle. Within the next 72 hours the Germans were retreating and the Allies were on full attack. With this happening so near the end of the war it is apprently the only time that the code talkers were used.  

 

Praised highly by the company commanders, the batallion commander informed the Choctaw code talkers that he would be putting them in for medals. At the time that this information was given by Solomon Lewis, in 1979, the medals had still never been received. It was believed that Lewis was the only choctaw code talker still living.

 

During the annual Choctaw Labor Day Festival in 1986, Chief Hollis E. Roberts presented posthumous Choctaw Nation Medals of Valor to the families of the Code Talkers. This was the first time official recognition had been given to the code talkers.

 

The Choctaw Nation takes great pride in accepting the honor of the “Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite” from the French Government in recognition of the important role the Choctaw Code-Talkers played in the successful conclusion of WWI. This was given in November of 1989 at a ceremony on the front steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol building. This is the highest honor France can bestow from their nation to another.

 

   On December 6th, 2001, the 107th Congress passed a bill to be known as the "Choctaw Code talkers Recognition Act". You may see this bill by clicking in the link below.

http://www.theorator.com/bills107/hr3439.html

 

This widely recognized photo is of some of the Choctaw Code Talkers and their commanding officer. Pictured left to right are Solomon Louis, Mitchell Bobb, James Edwards, Calvin Wilson, Joseph Davenport and Capt. E.H. Horner.

 

 

   

War Memorial located at Tuskahoma