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The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II. William C. Meadows. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2002. 280 pp.
Much has been made of the Navajo code talkers. Indeed, films have been made concerning the use of Navajo as a code during World War II. But, as William C. Meadows describes in his book The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II, the Navajos were not the only Native American group using their own language as a code.
The history of Native American languages as codes is complex, and Meadows does an excellent job explaining that history. In point of fact, this book is a history of Native American code talkers. Meadows begins by discussing the Choctaw code talkers during World War I. They were informal in nature, but their effect was profound. As Meadows states: "The Choctaw Code Talkers were instrumental in helping the American Expeditionary Force win several key battles in the Meuse-Argonne campaign in France. By successfully using their native language to withdraw two companies of troops October 26, 1918, the eight Choctaw Code Talkers proved the ability of their communications skills" (p. 22).
The Comanche code talkers of World War II were...