Nuchi Nashoba grew up looking at a photograph of her great-grandfather Ben Carterby inside her grandmother\u2019s Oklahoma home. But, she didn\u2019t know much about the man in the frame other than that he was a World War I veteran. <\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until 1989 \u2014 when Nashoba was in her late 20s \u2014 that she learned a deep secret about her ancestor. <\/p>\n
Carterby was one of the Choctaw code talkers<\/a> \u2014 a group of 19 Native American soldiers who used their language to transmit encrypted messages to the Allies during campaigns in northern France. The soldiers were sworn to secrecy and hid details of their service from families for decades. <\/p>\n Over the past 20 years, Nashoba has led advocacy efforts to spotlight the group\u2019s hidden legacy as president of the Choctaw Code Talkers Association. Now, the soldiers\u2019 contributions are recognized in Fort Worth through a new plaque at the city\u2019s Veterans Memorial Park<\/a>. <\/p>\n The Choctaw Code Talker Historical Marker was unveiled during an April 1 ceremony hosted by the Oklahoma tribe, the Texas Historical Commission and the city\u2019s parks and recreation department. Several descendants of the Native soldiers attended. <\/p>\n \u201cSeeing the marker really brings me a lot of joy,\u201d Nashoba said. \u201cThis is what preserves the history for generations to come.\u201d <\/p>\n Choctaw code talkers\u2019 ties to Fort Worth<\/p>\n Members of the Choctaw code talkers were men who volunteered to fight for the U.S. in World War I at a time when Native Americans were not recognized as citizens. Indigenous communities wouldn\u2019t receive citizenship until 1924<\/a>. <\/p>\n While in the battlefields in France, some of these men were overheard speaking their Choctaw language and were trained to use their words as \u201ccode.\u201d They were placed on front lines and command posts so that messages could be transmitted to headquarters. <\/p>\n The soldiers shared words like \u201ctanampo chito\u201d for artillery and \u201ctvshka\u201d for warriors, according to the historical marker. The Germans famously failed to decipher these Choctaw transmissions within 24 hours throughout the war. <\/p>\n The Choctaw group is widely considered to be the first Native American code talkers<\/a> to serve in the U.S. military. Their work paved the way for the Navajo code talkers<\/a> during World War II. <\/p>\n \u201cTheir story is a testament to the resilience and patriotism of the Choctaw Nation,\u201d Col. Brent Kemp, commander of the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the National Guard, said at the unveiling. \u201cTheir ingenuity and bravery reminds us of the power of cultural heritage and the importance of preserving Indigenous languages.\u201d<\/p>\n The Native American soldiers were in the 36th Infantry Division at Camp Bowie<\/a>, a westside training site for more than 100,000 soldiers during World War I.<\/p>\n Council member Macy Hill, who represents Camp Bowie, said it was only fitting for Fort Worth to honor the legacy of the code talkers since they walked on the site\u2019s grounds. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is where the Choctaw code talkers were initially trained and where they will forever be remembered,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Descendants carry the torch<\/p>\n As Ta\u2019Na Alexander \u2014 the great-great-granddaughter of Carterby \u2014 watched the marker\u2019s unveiling in Fort Worth, she couldn\u2019t help but feel proud that her family\u2019s history is slowly spreading across the U.S. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s pretty monumental to realize that more people are starting to recognize the significant part of these men who were sworn to secrecy,\u201d said Alexander, who is Nashoba\u2019s daughter. \u201cThis marker connects the past to the future.\u201d <\/p>\n She credits her mother\u2019s leadership for widespread education about the work of Native soldiers.<\/p>\n Last May, the Choctaw Code Talkers Association led the charge to place a bronze sculpture<\/a> honoring the group at the Choctaw Cultural Center in southern Oklahoma. The artwork depicts three soldiers in the middle of battle. <\/p>\n The organization also advocated for 23 Oklahoma bridges to be renamed after the code talkers<\/a> and other Native veterans.<\/p>\n The Fort Worth marker was the group\u2019s first venture into Texas, Nashoba said. The group is exploring other statewide recognitions, she added.<\/p>\n For now, Alexander invites Fort Worth residents to stroll through the memorial park to learn that her ancestors\u2019 stories aren\u2019t just about being Native. They\u2019re about what it means to be American, she said. <\/p>\n \u201cYou might not be Native or Choctaw, but what we do share in common is that we have the right to vote,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have a voice. We have a freedom that exists here that doesn\u2019t exist anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n The Fort Worth Report\u2019s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n