Captain Charles Walter Veach, A Soldier's Story
Captain Charles Walter Veach, A Soldier's Story
Captain Charles Walter Veach was born on May 18, 1884, in Caddo, Oklahoma, within the Choctaw Nation. He joined the Oklahoma National Guard during a period when National Guard units were increasingly called upon for both domestic and international service.
Early in his military career, Veach was mobilized during the Crazy Snake Rebellion, a period of unrest in eastern Oklahoma. He was later deployed with the Mexican Border Service during the Mexican Border Expedition, when National Guard units were sent to the Texas border amid instability caused by the Mexican Revolution.
With the United States’ entry into World War I, the Oklahoma National Guard was federalized and absorbed into the U.S. Army’s 142nd Infantry Regiment of the 36th Division. During this period, Captain Veach and other members of the Choctaw Nation participated in one of the earliest recorded uses of Native American languages for military communications. Their work helped confuse enemy forces and laid the groundwork for the later development of Native American Code Talkers in the U.S. military.
After the war, Captain Veach returned home to Oklahoma, where he continued his service to his people. He served on the Choctaw tribal council and represented the Choctaw Nation in the Camp Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, contributing to tribal governance during a period of significant political and cultural transition.
Captain Charles Walter Veach died on October 13, 1966. He is laid to rest at Highland Cemetery, remembered for a life that bridged military service, Native sovereignty, and early innovations in American wartime communication.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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