Roderick Red Elk
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
Comanche Code Talker, World War II

Roderick Red Elk was born on 23 January 1923, north of Temple, OK. He attended Fort Sill Indian School and was a horse race jockey in his youth.

Chronology of Military Service by Code Talkers

During the period December 1940 to February 1941, twenty Comanche Indians were selected to serve and train as Code Talkers with the U.S. Army. Three of the volunteers, Lester Poahway, John Woosypitty and George “Woogie” Smith Watchetaker, were unable to qualify for military service. The remaining seventeen enlisted.

January 1941 to August 1941: The seventeen men completed Basic Training at Fort Benning, GA, and awaited orders. They were assigned to the 4th Signal Company, 4th Infantry Division.

August 1941 to 30 October 1941: Under the leadership of LT Hugh Foster (who retired as a Major General and is buried at West Point, NY) the Code Talkers completed signal training at Camp Gordon, GA, in phone, radio, Morse code and semaphore; most importantly, they developed an unbreakable 200+ specialized military term code by memory (unwritten).

November 1941 to January 1944: Trained at Camp Gordon Johnson, GA; Camp Jackson, SC; Camp Beauregard, LA; and Camp Joyce Kilmer, NJ.

January 1944 to 6 June 1944: Fourteen men were shipped to Tibberton in Devonshire, England, where they trained for the invasion of mainland Europe. Three of the original Code Talkers, Edward Nahquaddy, Anthony Tabbytite and Ralph Wahnee remained in the United States.

6 June 1944 (D-Day): Twelve Code Talkers landed at Utah Beach, one at Omaha Beach and one remained aboard ship to receive and send sensitive U.S. Military messages in the Comanche language. The Code Talkers maintained wire telephone lines and sent secure messages via field telephone and radio.

7 June 1944 to 11 July 1945: Fought in five European Campaigns – Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. Major battles included Cherbourg, St. Lo, Paris, the Siegfried Line, the Huertgen Forest and Bastogne.

12 July 1945: The 4th Infantry Division arrived at Hampton Roads, VA.

Staff Sergeant Roderick Red Elk, the youngest Code Talker, remained in the Army until 1952 and was wounded in the Korean War.

Medals and Awards

Bronze Star Medal
Purple Heart
American Theater Campaign Medal
European, African, Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Silver Service Star
World War II Victory Medal
Korean Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal
Republic of Korea War Service Medal

Also awarded an Honorable Discharge Pin, aka 'Ruptured Duck'

Foreign Awards

Chevalier de I’Ordre National du Merite (Knight of the Order of National Merit) by the French government on 3 November 1989.

Honors and Recognition

• 3 November 1989: The State of Oklahoma conducted a Code Talker Recognition Ceremony for both the Comanche and Choctaw Code Talkers at the State Capitol in Oklahoma City, OK

• In 2002: A 280-page book, Comanche Code Talkers, was published by William C. Meadows

• April 2003: A larger-than-life monument was dedicated by the State of Louisiana at Camp Beauregard, LA, in honor of the Comanche and Choctaw Code Talkers

• 26 September 2003: A life-size monument was dedicated by the Comanche Nation and Comanche Indian Veterans Association in honor of the Comanche Code Talkers. The monument is located at the Comanche Nation Headquarters, north of Lawton, OK.

• 11 November 2011: The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II who served overseas were inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame

• 20 November 2013: Presentation of the Numunu Comanche Code Talkers Congressional Gold Medal was made to Comanche Nation Chairman Wallace Coffey on behalf of the 4 Comanche Code Talkers of World War I and the 17 Comanche Code Talkers of World War II, in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol.

Post-Military Life

Red Elk owned and operated a café in Lawton, OK, and later was employed by Budweiser Distributing Company, also in Lawton. He was one of the originators of the Comanche Language Preservation Group. He was a member of the Walters Service Club, Comanche Indian Veterans Association and Quarter Horse Association.

Death and Burial

Staff Sergeant Roderick Red Elk died on 25 September 1997. He is buried at Deyo Cemetery in Lawton, Comanche County, OK.

This Honoree Record was prepared with the valuable assistance of Lanny G. Asepermy, Sergeant Major, U.S. Army (Ret.) [Honoree Record ID 227117], Historian for the Comanche Indian Veterans Association in Lawton, OK. Photo is courtesy of SMG Asepermy and the Comanche Nation Museum.