IIB
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3250
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JUNE 19, 2002
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and
Urban Affairs
AN ACT
To authorize the presentation of gold medals on behalf of
Congress to Native Americans who served as Code Talk-
ers during foreign conflicts in which the United States
was involved during the 20th Century in recognition of
their service to the Nation.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Code Talkers Recogni-
tion Act’’.
SEC. 2. EXPRESSION OF RECOGNITION.
The purpose of the medals authorized by this Act are
to express recognition by the United States and its citizens
and to honor the Native American Code Talkers who dis-
tinguished themselves in performing highly successful
communications operations of a unique type that greatly
assisted in saving countless lives and in hastening the end
of World War I and World War II.
TITLE I—SIOUX CODE TALKERS
SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Sioux Indians used their native languages,
Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota Sioux, as code during
World War II.
(2) These people, who manned radio commu-
nications networks to advise of enemy actions, be-
came known as the Sioux Code Talkers.
(3) Under some of the heaviest combat action,
the Code Talkers worked around the clock to provide
information which saved the lives of many Ameri-
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cans in the Pacific and Europe, such as the location
of enemy troops and the number of enemy guns.
(4) The Sioux Code Talkers were so successful
that military commanders credit the code with sav-
ing the lives of countless American soldiers and
being instrumental to the success of the United
States in many battles during World War II.
SEC. 102. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall make appro-
priate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design, to each
Sioux Code Talker, including the following:
(1) Eddie Eagle Boy.
(2) Simon Brokenleg.
(3) Iver Crow Eagle, Sr.
(4) Edmund St. John.
(5) Walter C. John.
(6) John Bear King.
(7) Phillip ‘‘Stoney’’ LaBlanc.
(8) Baptiste Pumpkinseed.
(9) Guy Rondell.
(10) Charles Whitepipe.
(11) Clarence Wolfguts.
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TITLE II—COMANCHE CODE
TALKERS
SEC. 201. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Em-
pire attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the Con-
gress declared war the following day.
(2) The military code, developed by the United
States for transmitting messages, had been deci-
phered by the Axis powers, and United States mili-
tary intelligence sought to develop a new means to
counter the enemy.
(3) The United States Government called upon
the Comanche Nation to support the military effort
by recruiting and enlisting Comanche men to serve
in the United States Army to develop a secret code
based on the Comanche language.
(4) At the time, the Comanches were second-
class citizens, and they were a people who were dis-
couraged from using their own language.
(5) The Comanches of the 4th Signal Division
became known as the ‘‘Comanche Code Talkers’’ and
helped to develop a code using their language to
communicate military messages during the D–Day
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invasion and in the European theater during World
War II.
(6) To the enemy’s frustration, the code devel-
oped by these Native American Indians proved to be
unbreakable and was used extensively throughout
the European theater.
(7) The Comanche language, discouraged in the
past, was instrumental in developing one of the most
significant and successful military codes of World
War II.
(8) The Comanche Code Talkers contributed
greatly to the Allied war effort in Europe and were
instrumental in winning the war in Europe. Their
efforts saved countless lives.
(9) Only 1 of the Comanche Code Talkers of
World War II remains alive today.
(10) The time has come for the United States
Congress to honor the Comanche Code Talkers for
their valor and their service to the Nation.
(11) The congressional gold medals authorized
by this title are the recognition and honor by the
United States and its citizens of the Comanche Code
Talkers who distinguished themselves in performing
a unique, highly successful communications oper-
ation that greatly assisted in saving countless lives
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and in hastening the end of World War II in Eu-
rope.
SEC. 202. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall make appro-
priate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to each
of the following Comanche Code Talkers of World War
II, in recognition of their contributions to the Nation:
(1) Charles Chibitty.
(2) Haddon Codynah.
(3) Robert Holder.
(4) Forrest Kassanovoid.
(5) Willington Mihecoby.
(6) Perry Noyebad.
(7) Clifford Otitivo.
(8) Simmons Parker.
(9) Melvin Permansu.
(10) Dick Red Elk.
(11) Elgin Red Elk.
(12) Larry Saupitty.
(13) Morris Sunrise.
(14) Willie Yackeschi.
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TITLE III—CHOCTAW CODE
TALKERS
SEC. 301. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On April 6, 1917, the United States, after
extraordinary provocations, declared war on Ger-
many, thus the United States entered World War I,
the War to End All Wars.
(2) At the time of this declaration of war, In-
dian people in the United States, including members
of the Choctaw Nation, were not accorded the status
of citizens of the United States.
(3) Without regard to this lack of citizenship,
many members of the Choctaw Nation joined many
members of other Indian tribes and nations in enlist-
ing in the Armed Forces to fight on behalf of their
native land.
(4) Members of the Choctaw Nation were en-
listed in the force known as the American Expedi-
tionary Force, which began hostile actions in France
in the fall of 1917, and specifically, members of the
Choctaw Nation were incorporated in a company of
Indian enlistees serving in the 142d Infantry Com-
pany of the 36th Division.
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(5) A major impediment to Allied operations in
general, and American operations in particular, was
the fact that the German forces had deciphered all
codes used for transmitting information between Al-
lied commands, leading to substantial loss of men
and materiel during the first year of American ac-
tion.
(6) Because of the proximity and static nature
of the battle lines, a method to communicate without
the knowledge of the enemy was needed.
(7) An American commander realized the fact
that he had under his command a number of men
who spoke a native language. While the use of such
native languages was discouraged by the American
Government, the commander sought out and re-
cruited 18 Choctaw Indians to use for transmission
of field telephone communications during an upcom-
ing campaign.
(8) Because the language used by the Choctaw
soldiers in the transmission of information was not
based on a European language or on a mathematical
progression, the Germans were unable to understand
any of the transmissions.
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(9) The Choctaw soldiers were placed in dif-
ferent command positions, to achieve the widest pos-
sible area for communications.
(10) The use of the Choctaw Code Talkers was
particularly important in the movement of American
soldiers in October of 1918 (including securing for-
ward and exposed positions), in the protection of
supplies during American action (including pro-
tecting gun emplacements from enemy shelling), and
in the preparation for the assault on German posi-
tions in the final stages of combat operations in the
fall of 1918.
(11) In the opinion of the officers involved, the
use of Choctaw Indians to transmit information in
their native language saved men and munitions, and
was highly successful. Based on this successful expe-
rience, Choctaw Indians were being withdrawn from
frontline units for training in transmission of codes
so as to be more widely used when the war came to
a halt.
(12) The Germans never succeeded in breaking
the Choctaw code.
(13) This was the first time in modern warfare
that such transmission of messages in a native
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American language was used for the purpose of con-
fusing the enemy.
(14) This action by members of the Choctaw
Nation is another example of the commitment of
American Indians to the defense of our great Nation
and adds to the proud legacy of such service.
(15) The Choctaw Nation has honored the ac-
tions of these 18 Choctaw Code Talkers through a
memorial bearing their names located at the en-
trance of the tribal complex in Durant, Oklahoma.
SEC. 302. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall make appro-
priate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design honoring
the Choctaw Code Talkers.
TITLE IV—GENERAL
PROVISIONS
SEC. 401. MEDALS FOR OTHER CODE TALKERS.
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—In addition to
the gold medals authorized to be presented under section
102, 202, and 302, the Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation,
on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate
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design to any other Native American Code Talker identi-
fied by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to subsection
(b) who has not previously received a congressional gold
medal.
(b) IDENTIFICATION OF OTHER NATIVE AMERICAN
CODE TALKERS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any Native American mem-
ber of the United States Armed Forces who served
as a Code Talker in any foreign conflict in which the
United States was involved during the 20th Century
shall be eligible for a gold medal under this section.
(2) DETERMINATION.—Eligibility under para-
graph (1) shall be determined by the Secretary of
Defense and such Secretary shall establish a list of
the names of such eligible individuals before the end
of the 120-day period beginning on the date of the
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 402. PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL MEDALS
UNDER THIS ACT.
(a) MEDALS AWARDED POSTHUMOUSLY.—Medals
authorized by this Act may be awarded posthumously on
behalf of, and presented to the next of kin or other rep-
resentative of, a Native American Code Talker.
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of any presen-
tation of a gold medal under this Act, the Secretary
of the Treasury shall strike gold medals with suit-
able emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be deter-
mined by the Secretary.
(2) DESIGNS EMBLEMATIC OF TRIBAL AFFILI-
ATION.—The design of the gold medals struck under
this Act for Native American Code talkers of the
same Indian tribe shall be emblematic of the partici-
pation of the Code Talkers of such Indian tribe.
(3) INDIAN TRIBE DEFINED.—For purposes of
this subsection, the term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ has the
same meaning as in section 4 of the Indian Self-De-
termination and Education Assistance Act.
SEC. 403. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary of the Treasury may strike and sell
duplicates in bronze of the gold medals struck under this
Act in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary
may prescribe, and at a price sufficient to cover the costs
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery,
and overhead expenses, and the cost of the bronze medal.
SEC. 404. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United
States Code.
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SEC. 405. FUNDING.
(a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is
authorized to be charged against the United States Mint
Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec-
essary to pay for the costs of the medals authorized by
this Act.
(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the
sale of duplicate bronze medals under section 403 shall
be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise
Fund.
Passed the House of Representatives June 18, 2002.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.