Comanche

Along the Normandy coast seventy-eight years ago, Americans in an allied effort led the assaults at Utah and Omaha beaches on June 6, 1944. Of the infantry regiments in the Fourth Division, the Comanche Code Talker Charles Chibitty was assigned to the 22nd Regiment.

After landing at Utah Beach, the American forces moved inland. In order to free the Contentin Peninsula, very fierce fighting took place. The military force finally took control of the peninsula. In late June of 1944, Cherbourg was captured.

In his recollection of Cherbourg, Charles recalled the importance of the port. He shared that "the British and Canadians they came in and held the counteroffensives off at Caan. While the rest of us turned right and went to the port town of Cherbourg, so that we took that place where they could unload stuff, at that port town."

Regarding the ferocious nature of war in Europe Charles further voiced:

"I was afraid and if I didn't talk to the Creator, something was wrong. Because when you're going to go in battle, that's the first thing you're going to do, you're going to talk to the Creator."

Great picture of the late Comanche Code Talker Charles Chibitty,. He is shown at the Comanche Nation Complex near the Comanche Code Talker statue, circa 2003. Photograph by Chester Cowan. Courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Research Division, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Additional information from the Comanche Code Talkers of World War II by William C. Meadows, the National Museum of the American Indian, and Hidden Path Productions.