My Two Beads Worth US Honors Code Talkers, Iraq War Veterans, National Guard Veterans

U.S. honors code talkers

National

U.S. honors code talkers

Wednesday, June 19, 2002

Associated Press

The last living World War II Comanche code talker, Charles Chibitty, of Tulsa, Okla., is seen before speaking at the Indian Sovereignty Symposium in Oklahoma City last week. Maria Recio - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

WASHINGTON _ Charles Chibitty is the last surviving member of the Comanche code talkers.

Like the Navajos depicted in the current film "Windtalkers," who spoke their native language to relay messages and confuse the Japanese in World War II, the Comanches and other Native Americans from the Sioux and Choctaw tribes also helped the U.S. war effort in Europe and the Pacific.

On Tuesday, Chibitty, 80, of Tulsa, Okla., got some overdue recognition, as the House unanimously approved legislation granting the Congressional Gold Medal to all Native Americans who used their language as an unbreakable code that confounded the enemy. The Navajos were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in July.

"We could let the Germans listen to us all day long but they couldn't understand," Chibitty chuckled during a telephone interview. "They probably told Hitler."

Chibitty was one of 14 Comanches who were in the Army in the European theater and played a crucial role in the D-Day invasion by relaying troop locations.

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, led the effort on behalf of the Comanche tribe. Rep. John Thune, R-S.D., sponsored legislation for the Sioux, and Rep. Wes Watkins, R-Okla., spoke out for the Choctaw. The three bills were put together and now all Native Americans who served as code talkers will be honored.

"In my mind, the Native American code talkers are some of our nation's greatest heroes," Granger said on the House floor. "Military commanders credit the code talkers with saving the lives of countless American soldiers and ultimately ... the success of the United States in many battles."

Granger learned of the Comanche code talkers from constituent Ben Tahmahkera, who is Comanche. Among the awards Chibitty has received for his service in World War II is one in Fort Worth in April at the Texas Frontier Forts Muster and the Quanah Parker Comanche Pow Wow.

"The code that Chibitty used was never broken, and for a long time Germans believed it was just gibberish," said Granger. "Eventually, the Germans sent spies to training grounds in Fort Gordon and to reservations in Oklahoma to try and crack the code. None of the spy missions were successful."

Two of 11 Sioux code talkers are still alive: Clarence Wolf Guts of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Charles Whitepipe Sr., of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

None of the 18 Choctaw code talkers is alive, according to Watkins' office. All the deceased code talkers will be honored posthumously.

Thanks Marvin for sending this on!

Please note:

With honor and respect ~ Last surviving member of the elite Comanche Code Talkers, Mr Charles Chibitty passed on Wednesday, July 20, 2005.

LINK TO STORY

Here are some links for more information on Native American Indian Code Talkers:

CHOCTAW CODE TALKERS

Pvt. Joseph Oklahombi

NAVAJO CODE TALKERS

HOPI CODE TALKERS

GOOD INFORMATION ON NATIVE AMERICAN CODE TALKERS

IRA HAYES PIMA

FACES OF THE FALLEN IRAQI SOLDIERS 2007

TRIBUTES TO THE FALLEN

WARRIORS PAST AND FUTURE

IRAQ TAKES UNIQUE TOLL ON NATIONAL GUARD

MEMORIAL TO NATIONAL GUARD DEDICATED IN INDIANAPOLIS NOVEMBER 2007

Veterans Reports

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Last updated on November 8, 2007