[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 111 (Tuesday, July 27, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S6296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING CLARENCE WOLF GUTS

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, today i pay tribute to Clarence Wolf Guts 
who passed away on June 16, 2010, at the South Dakota State Veterans 
Home at the age of 86. Clarence was the last surviving Lakota Code 
Talker. Code talkers played a crucial role in World War II in 
communicating positions and messages that the enemies could not 
decipher. Their contributions to the war effort are immeasurable. 
Clarence enlisted in the Army at age 18 and was the personal code 
talker for MG Paul Mueller, commander of the U.S. Army's 81st Infantry. 
He traveled with General Mueller and the 81st as the division moved 
from island to island during the fight against the Japanese during 
World War II.
  Clarence did not seek the limelight; he simply served his Nation 
honorably. In later years, Clarence became a spokesman among tribal 
elders and traditional leaders about the importance of keeping Native 
languages alive for future generations. He was very proud to be a 
veteran, a full-blooded Lakota, and a Lakota speaker.
  I had the pleasure of meeting Clarence at a ceremony honoring him in 
2006 on Capitol Hill. Clarence is one of many South Dakotans who make 
us proud with their service to our Nation. Our nation owes him a debt 
of gratitude, and the best way to honor his life is to emulate his 
commitment to our country. Mr. President, I join with all South 
Dakotans in expressing my deepest sympathy to the family of Clarence 
Wolf Guts. He will be missed, but his service to our Nation will never 
be forgotten.

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