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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 For  Immediate  Release:  News  Media  Contact:  November  4,  2002  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rkimball@  fcc.  gov 


 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION  HONORS  WORLD  WAR  II  COMANCHE  CODE  TALKERS 


 Featured  Guest:  Charles  Chibitty,  Last  Surviving  Comanche  Code  Talker 
 Washington,  DC  --  Today,  the  Comanche  Code  Talkers,  members  of  a  specialized  communications  unit  of  the  U.  S.  Army  4  th  Signal  Corps  which  served  in  World  War  II,  were 
 honored  by  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  for  their  meritorious  service  utilizing  their  ancestral  Comanche  language  to  create  and  use  an  “unbreakable  code”  on  the  battlefields  of  the 
 Europe. 
 In  a  special  program,  held  today  in  observance  of  National  American  Indian  Heritage  Month.  Mr.  Charles  Chibitty  of  Tulsa,  Oklahoma,  a  decorated  veteran  and  the  last  surviving 
 member  of  the  Comanche  Code  Talkers,  was  the  FCC’s  guest  of  honor. 
 The  Comanche  code  enabled  the  United  States  Army  to  communicate  effectively  at  all  levels  of  command  as  it  advanced  in  the  Allied  liberation  of  Europe  in  1944  and  1945.  As 
 American  troops  fought  their  way  across  France,  Luxembourg  and  even  into  Nazi  Germany,  the  Code  Talkers’  efforts  saved  lives  in  battle  and  helped  secure  the  freedom  of  the  Allied  countries 
 and  the  rest  of  the  world. 
 Mr.  Chibitty  shared  how  he  and  16  other  young  men,  who  had  grown  up  together  and  were  all  members  of  the  Comanche  Tribe  of  Oklahoma,  used  the  Comanche  language  and  their 
 Army-  trained  communications  skills  to  create  a  military  intelligence  code  that  was  never  broken  by  the  enemy.  He  shared  anecdotes  from  their  enlistment  and  training,  when  they  created 
 Comanche  code  words  for  “bomber”  and  “tank”—  words  that  did  not  exist  in  the  Comanche  language.  Mr.  Chibitty  also  explained  how  he  and  his  fellow  Code  Talkers  used  their  code  in 
 several  combat  missions. 
 The  FCC  program  highlighted  the  significant  contributions  to  our  nation’s  liberties  not  only  of  the  Comanche  Code  Talkers,  but  also  those  of  soldiers  of  other  tribes,  including  Navajo, 
 Choctaw  and  Sioux,  who  served  in  similar  Code  Talker  units  in  World  War  II.  American  Indian  Code  Talkers  and  their  languages  proved  precious  to  the  United  States  war  effort  in  an  era  well 
 before  modern  code  encryption  techniques. 
 (over) 
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 FCC  Chairman  Michael  K.  Powell  stated  that,  “Time  and  again  the  strength  of  our  Nation  is  demonstrated  when  many  diverse  cultures  come  together  as  one.  In  addition,  at  important 
 times  in  our  history,  a  group  has  stepped  forward  to  utilize  their  unique  cultural  background  to  make  a  special  contribution  to  the  well-  being  of  our  country,  and  this  was  particularly  true  in  the 
 case  of  the  Comanche  Code  Talkers  during  World  War  II.” 
 Powell  also  stressed  the  significance  of  the  FCC’s  recently  launched  Indian  Telecommunications  Initiatives,  designed  to  increase  access  to  telecommunications  services  in 
 Indian  Country. 
 -  FCC  – 


 FCC  Contact:  Geoffrey  Blackwell  at  (202)  418-  8192. 
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