LAWTON,
OK In the center of each table there's a delicate orange glow
from a candle. Each flicker of light is reflected in the framed picture
of a Comanche Code Talker that's placed on each table. The tables
are dressed in red, yellow or blue cloth, and the candles are adorned
with the Comanche Nation emblem.
Gathered around the tables are family members of the five Comanche
Code Talkers who served in World War I and the 17 who served in
World War II. The event isn't a solemn memorial. It's a homecoming
ceremony, a celebration. Relatives are gathered to take home silver
Congressional Medals in honor of their family's Code Talker.
The families, other Comanche tribal citizens and honored guests
celebrated on Jan. 21 at the Great Plains Coliseum in Lawton.
"This is once in a lifetime that this will happen," master of
ceremonies Eddie Mahseet said.
Mahseet read the names of each Code Talker, but before that
everyone was treated to Comanche hymn singing and exhibitions from
Comanche fancy dancers, while they ate. The meals were served to
guests by Comanche citizens members and members of the Cameron University
George D. Keathley Department of Military Science Comanche Battalion
Army ROTC.
"We like to do a lot of volunteer work; give back," James Norris,
of the battalion's Public Affairs Office, said. "We've also helped
the Comanche tribe in previous years with some functions and with
the color guard."
Comanche elders/sisters, Edna Pahcheka Poafpybitty, Vivian Pahcheka
Holder and Virgie Pahcheka Kassanavoid sang Comanche hymns to three
of the Code Talker widows in attendance. Also singing was the Cameron
University choir under the direction of Kathy Scherler.
"We are very proud of the Comanche Code Talkers," Scherler said.
"We are very proud of the Comanche people."
State and local politicians, military personnel and other dignitaries
also attended, as well as Cheyenne and Arapaho filmmaker Chris Eyre.
"It's an honor to be here with the Comanche Nation," Eyre said.
"I'd just like to say thank you to all the military people here
and the Code Talkers, the Comanche Code Talkers, for their service
and I'm really happy to be a part of this evening tonight."
Lanny Asepermy, a Comanche Indian Veterans Association member,
provided the history of how the Code Talker Recognition Act came
to be and the role Comanches played in seeing it through to fruition.
He also spoke about the actions of the Code Talkers, saying they
were up against machine guns, gas and hand-to-hand combat.
"These were outstanding, fantastic soldiers," Asepermy said.
"You know we're all here together tonight
one, two, three,
four generations. You know what those 17 men have done; they brought
you together
you're here because of them. Don't forget why
you're here tonight and honor their memory and their accomplishments
as soldiers."
The Comanche language was used in World War I with a handful
of Comanche men in the 357th Infantry Regiment of the 90th Division.
However, an organized code wasn't established until World War II
when 21 Comanche men were chosen for the Code Talker Program. After
17 of them enlisted in the Army they became radio operators and
line repairmen for the 4th Infantry Division. While 14 of them went
to fight in the European Theater, 13 of them were on the beaches
of Normandy on D-Day.
The Comanche National Museum web site states, "When the 4th
Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach, they were five miles off
their designated target. The first message sent from the beach was
sent in Comanche from Code Talker, Private First Class Larry Saupitty.
His message was Tsaaku nunnuwee. Atahtu nunnuwee,' which translates
to: We made a good landing. We landed in the wrong place.'"
"The Germans
didn't know what they were saying, and because
they did not understand the message, thousands of American lives
were saved during both wars," Asepermy said. "We were sent to boarding
schools, whipped and had our mouth washed out with soap if we talked
our language. Then they turned around and they used us and that's
good because it helped maintain our freedom
Thank you Comanche
Code Talker families. Thank you."
The Comanche code was never broken and the work of the Code
Talkers remained a secret for years. The 14 Comanche Code Talkers
who served oversees were inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall
of Fame posthumously on Nov. 11, 2011. On Nov. 20, 2013, Code Talkers
from 33 tribes were recognized with Congressional Gold Medals at
Emancipation Hall inside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
On Jan. 21, the Congressional Silver Medals were given to the
Comanche Code Talker families by Comanche Nation Chairman Wallace
Coffey and Comanche Business Committee members.
"Oh my goodness. I can't describe it. This is the greatest honor
that me and my children have
they're finally getting their
medals and we're just so proud," Bessie Becky Wahnee, widow of Pvt.
Ralph Wahnee who served in WWII, said.
Wahnee said she could hardly express her appreciation and what
this all means to her. Along with Wahnee there were two other Code
Talker widow's present Irene Permansu Lane, widow of Sgt.
Melvin Permansu who served in WWII, and Ina Parker, widow of T/5
Simmons Parker who served in WWII.
Mamie Nava, daughter of Pvt. Samuel Tabbytosavit, made it to
the Comanche ceremony, as well as to the Washington, D.C. ceremony.
"I pulled out of a hospital bed to be here and I'm not supposed
to really be out," Nava said. "The only thing about it is I wanted
to make sure my sister was with me. I wished that she would have
been here."
Nava's sister, Ida Lee Valdez, died late in 2013. Their father
served in WWI.
Elvira Lanker, granddaughter of T/4 Morris Tabbyetchy who served
in WWII, came from Los Angeles with her husband and their five children.
"I never got a chance to meet my grandfather, and my mother,
she told me stories here and there, and I just learned in October
that he was a Code Talker and I've been doing so much research on
him," Lanker said. "It's amazing to me and it's such an honor to
be here. I'm just taking it in, any kind of information I can get.
I'm just soaking it all up and learning about the whole experience.
It's just beautiful. It means just so much to me."
Lanker said they planned on visiting the Comanche National Museum
and Cultural Center the next day to see the "Comanche Code of Honor"
exhibit featuring the Comanche Code Talkers.
In addition to the medal, male recipients were given a vest
and women recipients were given long wraps with the name of their
family's Code Talker embroidered on the back. A video of the Washington,
D.C., ceremony was also shown.
Code Talker families from the Kiowa Tribe were also recognized,
and some special guests received a "Standing Strong" Pendleton blanket.
The custom blanket was designed by Oklahoma artist Joseph Chamberlain
to honor service members.
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