I'd heard about Navaho Code Talkers but didn't know about the Pawnee Nation's own Code Talkers who'd probably lived not far from my house.
These bilingual troops could transmit tactical messages to each other in their native language. Six of the Code Talkers were wounded. Sergeant Echohawk was wounded three times, and one local Code Talker didn't survive combat.
Because there was no written language, it made it extremely difficult for anyone who'd not grown up speaking the language to be able to translate it.
Now I realize how confusing for an opposing side intercepting the messages to try to translate several unknown languages.
The Code Talkers were awarded a Congressional Gold Metal almost 50 years after the event.
I'm fortunate the memorial at Pawnee, OK, included mention of them because otherwise I would have missed this bit of local history.
These bilingual troops could transmit tactical messages to each other in their native language. Six of the Code Talkers were wounded. Sergeant Echohawk was wounded three times, and one local Code Talker didn't survive combat.
Because there was no written language, it made it extremely difficult for anyone who'd not grown up speaking the language to be able to translate it.
Now I realize how confusing for an opposing side intercepting the messages to try to translate several unknown languages.
The Code Talkers were awarded a Congressional Gold Metal almost 50 years after the event.
I'm fortunate the memorial at Pawnee, OK, included mention of them because otherwise I would have missed this bit of local history.
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