Ralph Wahnee
Private, U.S. Army

Ralph Wahnee was one of 17 Comanches selected and trained as a Code Talker with the U.S. Army,

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.

In January 1944, 14 of the Code Talkers were sent to Tibberton, Devonshire, England, to continue their training for the Normandy invasion. Three of the original Code Talkers, Edward Nahquaddy, Anthony Tabbytite and Ralph Wahnee remained in the United States.

Death and Burial

Ralph Wahnee died on 29 August 1987. He is buried at Little Washita Indian Cemetery in 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.