Choctaw Code Talkers

This photo was taken upon returning to the United States from fighting in WWI on June 7, 1919. 

Image courtesy of Stacy Mahoney

Called by some the "original Code Talkers", this is the story of the important role Choctaw soldiers played in WWI.

In 1918, not yet citizens of the U.S., Choctaw members of the American Expeditionary Forces were asked to use their Native language as a powerful tool against the German Forces in World War I, setting a precedent for code talking as an effective military weapon and establishing them as America's original Code Talkers. Choctaw Code Talkers airs Friday, November 9, 2012 at 6 p.m. on WXXI World (cable 524/DT21.2).

In honor of Native American History Month, WXXI-TV and Radio will broadcast a variety of programs featuring the men and women who shaped the Native American experience.