[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14358]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS

  (Mr. TEAGUE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. TEAGUE. Mr. Speaker, over the Memorial Day recess, our Nation 
lost two individuals that I consider to be national treasures. Two 
marines that were known as ``Navajo Code Talkers'' passed away: John 
Brown, Jr., of Crystal, New Mexico, and his compatriot, Thomas Claw. 
Both were 87.
  During World War II, the Marines recruited members of the Navajo 
Nation for the specific purpose of devising a code that was based on 
the Navajo language. The Japanese were never able to break the code, 
and the Code Talkers were credited with helping save lives and 
contributing to the military success in the Pacific theater.
  The Code Talkers' contributions were invaluable, and we should always 
be grateful for their service. They did so much, and their contribution 
can be summarized best by what John Brown said when he was presented 
with the Congressional Gold Medal: ``We have seen much in our lives. We 
have seen war and peace, and we know the value of the freedom and 
democracy that this great Nation embodies. But our experience also 
reminds us how fragile these things can be and how vigilant we must be 
in protecting them.''

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