The Choctaw code talkers came into play near the end of the
war, and by no means did they “turn the tide” in the conflict. Their
contribution, however, did thwart German intelligence efforts, and
thereby saved lives.
WWI’s code talkers, as might be expected in a time of largely
unvarnished racism, received little recognition. The earliest known
mention of them in the media came in 1928 when an Oklahoma
City newspaper ran an article describing their wartime activities.
Even today, when code talking comes up, the conversation is
usually about the Navajo “windtalkers” of WWII.
“World War II Navajo code talkers have become the subject
of movies, documentaries, and books, but not the Choctaw. The
Navajo, with their history of opposing the United States in war,
have proven in almost all aspects to be a more popular subject
than the quiet, orderly, agrarian Choctaw Indians, who, in the early
19th century, adopted an American-style constitution and govern-
ment, complete with elections and separation of powers.” — Rise
and Fall of the Choctaw Republic, Angie Debo.
The Choctaw were one of the so-called “Five Civilized
Tribes,” along with the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek (Muscogee)
and Seminole. Anglo-European settlers generally considered these
tribes to be civilized because, unlike the more warlike tribes, they
were more willing to assimilate.
The Choctaw government awarded the code talkers posthumous
Medals of Valor in 1986. France, in 1989, awarded them the Fifth
Republic’s Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite (Knight of the
National Order of Merit). President George W. Bush, on Nov. 15,
2008, signed into law The Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008
Joseph Davenport
Continued on page 90
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