Cherokee and Choctaw soldiers in World War I helped keep military communications secure.

In September 1918, at the Second Battle of the Somme, American units attached to British troops included Cherokee speakers who transmitted messages securely over tapped telephone lines. This is apparently the first incidence of code talking (although it wouldn't be called that until World War II).

A better-documented effort in October 1918 involved 19 Choctaw soldiers. Col. A.W. Bloor overheard Solomon Louis and Mitchell Bobb conversing in Choctaw and realized the potential to defeat Germans listening in on Allied communications. Louis is credited by some sources as the leader of the code-talking team.

According to a memo from Bloor, “the Indian for 'Big Gun' was used to indicate artillery. 'Little gun shoot fast,' was substituted for machine gun.” A 2008 Congressional Gold Medal honoring the Choctaw code talkers depicts a soldier writing “tanampo chito,” or “big gun” in Choctaw.

Back to 100 Veterans, 100 Years: A Century of Stories You Should Know