Private First Class Joseph Oklahombi, A Soldier's Story
Private First Class Joseph Oklahombi, A Soldier's Story
According to Choctaw historian Charley Jones, Pushmataha, a revered Choctaw leader of the early nineteenth century, once foretold that the Choctaw war cry would one day be heard in a foreign land.
World War I fulfilled that prophecy.
Joseph Oklahombi was born on May 1, 1895, in the Choctaw Nation of what is now southeastern Oklahoma. He enlisted in the United States Army on May 25, 1918, during the final year of World War I, joining thousands of Native Americans who volunteered for service despite not yet being recognized as U.S. citizens.
Private First Class Oklahombi was among nineteen Choctaw tribal members who became the first Code Talkers in U.S. military history. During combat operations in France, they used the Choctaw language to transmit tactical messages by telephone, messages that German forces were unable to decipher. The success of the Choctaw Code Talkers directly influenced the later adoption of Native languages, including Navajo and Comanche, for military communications in World War II.
Beyond his role as a Code Talker, Oklahombi distinguished himself as a frontline soldier. He is widely regarded as Oklahoma’s most decorated World War I service member. During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, he demonstrated extraordinary bravery under fire, actions that contributed to the capture of a large number of enemy soldiers and the securing of strategic positions.
For his gallantry, Private First Class Oklahombi was awarded the Silver Star by the United States and the Croix de Guerre by France, one of the highest honors bestowed by an allied nation.
After his discharge in June 1919, Oklahombi returned home to the Kiamichi Mountains of Oklahoma with his wife, Agnes, and their young son, Jonas. He lived a quiet life centered on farming, hunting, and fishing, far removed from the battlefields where his language and courage had helped shape military history.
Like many Native American veterans, Joseph Oklahombi did not receive U.S. citizenship until the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, years after he had worn the uniform and earned foreign and domestic decorations for valor.
Private First Class Joseph Oklahombi died on April 13, 1960, as a result of an automobile–pedestrian accident. He was laid to rest in Oklahoma, his legacy largely unrecognized for decades.
Formal recognition finally came nearly a century later. On November 15, 2008, the Code Talkers Recognition Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush, honoring the Native American Code Talkers whose languages became unbreakable weapons of war.
Joseph Oklahombi’s service stands at the beginning of that legacy, a fulfillment of an old prophecy spoken long before the sound of war crossed an ocean.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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