Desperate to find a solution to their compromised communication lines, military officials turned to an unlikely source, Native soldiers. In WWI, a group of Ho Chunk soldiers were tasked to communicate information from the front-line trenches to headquarters in their native language. This form of communication worked so well that throughout WWI, WWII, and to a limited extent in Korea and Vietnam, soldiers and marines from over 30 tribes served as Code Talkers, using their native languages to develop a code that was never broken.

Join local producer Louis Vasseur (Ojibwe) to learn about the significant, yet largely unknown, contribution Native American veterans have made defending our country.

This event is sponsored by The Friends of the Library and is part of the America 250 initiative: celebrating our nation throughout the year. It is intended for adults. Registration is not required.

For more information, please contact Susan at susang@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 2114.