Soldier who trained WWII Comanche code talkers dies at 86

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | 12/20 | Associated Press

[Chad Fairbanks]

Code Talkers Ping!

[mainepatsfan]

They did a great job. All the Japanese code breakers could do was listen.

[ProudVet77]

That must have been very interesting work. I doubt the Commanche language itself has many words for things like tanks, 88MM guns, ME-109s etc. You'd almost have to create a unique dialect.

[ken5050]

They did..there are several excellent books about the code talkers..sadly..the movie a few years ago was awful..just the absolute pits..

[nina0113]

the movie a few years ago was awful..just the absolute pits..

Sure was...I was BITTERLY disappointed because it's a fascinating story and could have been a great movie.

[AmericanInTokyo]

And as they listened, all the Imperial Japanese G-2 types in the field could (quite humorously perhaps) say among themselves must have been something like: "Hora. Mata, ano yatsu. Kore. Nani kore? Nan da!? Ano yatsu, naniwo shabetterun da??? Chikusho, kono yaro!"

[mbynack]

I thought the code talkers were Navajo.

[AmericanInTokyo]

sorry: (translation). "Hey, guys, listen!. It's that bastard again. Here. Listen! What the hell? That guy, what the hell's he speaking??! Why that no-good _______!"

[KiloLima]

Maj Gen Foster has my utmost respect and gratitude. Thank you for posting this.

[ken5050]

It's impossible to use the words "Nicholas Cage" and "great movie " in the same sentence..

Holiday today is making war movies more like sci-fi..look at "Pearl Harbor"..what a piece of drek

[mbynack]

Disregard. I read the article. I had only heard of the Navajo code talkers in the Pacific. I never knew that they used them in Europe, too.

[mainepatsfan]

It was an awful movie. The dumbest part was when one of the codetalkers put on a Japanese uniform and went over behind their lines.

[mainepatsfan]

The best part was it wasn't like the Japanese could just pick a book on the language in downtown Tokyo or anywhere else for that matter!

[Tax-chick]

I saw one of the last surviving Comanche code talkers a few years ago in Oklahoma. He was a real gentleman.

[mainepatsfan]

The movie "Pearl Harbor" was an insult to the people who went through the attack.

[ken5050]

I'm trying to figure out the NFL AFC playoff possibilities for my beloved Jets..If they lose both games..and the Bills win out..and there is another 10-6 team..the Jets lose the tiebreaker..because you can't have 2 wild card teams from the same group..

[Tallguy]

That must have been very interesting work. I doubt the Commanche language itself has many words for things like tanks, 88MM guns, ME-109s etc. You'd almost have to create a unique dialect.

That's part of it. The Japanese supposedly captured some Navaho servicemen in the Philippines or on Wake Island. The Japanese had an idea that the language was some American Indian dialect, but even their Navaho captives couldn't break the code because they weren't in on the special words. I understand that the words for things were quite simple, ie. Turtle-for-Tank, Woodpecker-for-Machinegun, etc.

[mainepatsfan]

What do you mean by group?

[AmericanInTokyo]

Japanese intelligentsia in their military apparatus, I am sure, had a fundamental knowledge of our American history and culture, enough to know that we had indigenous tribes ("Indians") who could be speaking in those languages, passing code. The problem is, they did not possess the tools to unlock that secret, or have the capabilities to even start unraveling it. I am sure they were intelligent enough to know that it was an existing language by one of our Indian tribes...but for them (and fortunately to their disadvantage), "which"??