[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 122 (Wednesday, September 12, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S6265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING FRANK WILLETO

 Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, in the annals of our 
Nation's military history, the Navajo Code Talkers will always be 
remembered. They were a small group of marines, but their impact was 
far beyond their numbers. Their skills were crucial to American victory 
in the Pacific during World War II. They turned their Native language 
into an unbreakable code, and wielded that power as a great force in 
securing Allied victory.
  Today, we mourn the loss of one of those heroic men. On June 23, Mr. 
Frank Chee Willeto died at his home in Pueblo Pintado, NM. Mr. Willeto 
was 87 years old. His life was a remarkable story of valor, of 
dedication, and of service.
  Mr. Willeto was born and raised in Crownpoint, NM. In January 1944 he 
enlisted with the U.S. Marines, 6th Division. He trained for 8 weeks as 
a Navajo Code Talker. He served in the Pacific Theater in the Saipan 
and Okinawa campaigns.
  Frank Willeto and his fellow Navajo Code Talkers joined a fight for 
freedom in a world that did not always accord freedom to them. They 
knew firsthand the ugly face of discrimination, of intolerance. U.S. 
law had recognized Native Americans as citizens for only 17 years when 
our country entered World War II.
  And yet, many Native Americans bravely served during World War II, 
served at a higher percentage rate than the general population. And 
among them were Frank Willeto and the legendary Navajo Code Talkers.
  Mr. Willeto was awarded the Congressional Silver Medal. Our Nation is 
forever in debt to him and his fellow Navajo Code Talkers. But that is 
only part of his story. When he came home from war, he devoted his life 
to his community. He worked for many years with the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs and then with the Department of Education.
  In 1974, he was elected as a Navajo tribal councilman. He was later 
elected president of Pueblo Pintado Chapter. He also served as a judge 
on the Navajo Supreme Judicial Council and as vice president of the 
Navajo Nation.
  Last November, Mr. Willeto testified before the Senate Committee on 
Indian Affairs. He shared his experiences in the military, and he 
reminded us all how important it is that our veterans receive the 
benefits they were promised. He was a tireless advocate for housing and 
health benefits for veterans. Frank Willeto lived a long and productive 
life, and to the end he was steadfast in his efforts to help others.
  His was a life of service, of defending others in time of war, and 
serving others in times of peace. A life that is inspiring to all who 
knew him, and who mourn him now. We remember Frank Willeto, and we 
honor his legacy when we hold true to the ideals that he lived: honor, 
courage, commitment. I extend my sincere sympathies to Mr. Willeto's 
family, to his many friends, and to his community.

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