I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1093
To authorize the presentation of gold medals on behalf of Congress to Native 
Americans who served as Code Talkers during foreign conflicts in which 
the United States was involved during the 20th Century in recognition 
of their service to the Nation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 5, 2003
Ms. GRANGER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
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.
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-
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
(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 
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 
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. 
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. 
(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. 
(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 
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 
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.—
(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. 
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.
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