[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 119 (Thursday, September 21, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S9893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CODE TALKERS RECOGNITION ACT

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, this is a historic day. Last night we 
passed S. 1035, the Code Talkers Recognition Act.
  As my fellow Senate colleagues may know, code talkers played a unique 
role in our battlefield successes by transmitting commands and messages 
in their native language, which, of course, completely baffled the 
enemy. I was fortunate to meet one of these heroes during a visit to 
the Meskwaki settlement a couple years ago. Frank Sanache was modest 
and soft spoken about his heroism. But history has recorded his deeds 
in battle. And his passing was a loss to all of us who knew and 
respected him.
  In January of 1941, Frank and seven other Meskwaki tribal members--
Edward Benson, Dewey Roberts, Dewey Youngbear, Mike Twin, Jude Wayne 
Wabaunasee, Mike Wayne Wabaunasee, and Willard Sanache--enlisted in the 
Iowa National Guard. They were recruited for code talker training, and 
served in the 168th Infantry, 34th Division.
  In the Second World War, communication in Native American languages 
proved to be the perfect tool for frustrating enemy eavesdropping. 
Indian languages were used to develop military codes that were 
difficult to intercept and impossible to break. This is ironic, because 
in the years prior to the war, the Meskwaki and other tribes had been 
under constant pressure to abandon their traditional languages and 
cultures.
  The use of these codes is credited with saving countless lives. Until 
recently, however, only the Navajos and the Navajo code were given 
broad recognition and credit. But, in fact, at least 17 other tribes, 
including Iowa's Meskwaki, served as code talkers during the Second 
World War.
  Congress has already recognized the courageous service of Navajo code 
talkers. And by passing S. 1035, the Code Talkers Recognition Act, last 
night, we are recognizing the service and sacrifice of all the code 
talkers and awarding congressional commemorative medals to these 
heroes.
  I thank Senators Frist, Shelby, and Sarbanes for allowing this 
important and historic legislation to move forward and the bipartisan 
effort from Senators Inhofe, Johnson, Thune, and Grassley in gaining 79 
cosponsors.

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