The Benefits of Complexity

We recently stumbled across the tale of the Choctaw code talkers, who were briefly employed by the American Expeditionary Force during World War I. Upon learning of their role in the conflict, we immediately wondered why the United States military opted to use Navajos rather than Choctaws during the wider war that followed a quarter-century later. Surely it wasn't with Ben Yahzee's future acting career in mind.

As it turns out, Choctaws were used in limited numbers during World War II, but...