[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10858]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO CHIEF DAVID BALD EAGLE

 Mr. JOHNSON. Madam President, I wish to speak today to honor 
the 90th birthday earlier this month of my friend, Chief David Bald 
Eagle of Takini, on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. 
Chief Bald Eagle was born on April 8, 1919, on the west banks of Cherry 
Creek in west central South Dakota. He is the grandson of Chief White 
Bull who fought Custer's 7th Cavalry in the Battle of Greasy Grass 
Creek, better known as the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Having a 
warrior spirit in his blood, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was just 
being discharged at the beginning of World War II. He reenlisted, and 
served as a sergeant with the 82nd Airborne Division. In 1944, he was 
among those brave soldiers who jumped from planes on D-day as a U.S. 
Army paratrooper. Chief Bald Eagle was shot four times that day, and 
his story is recounted in ``Blue Stars: A Selection of Stories from 
South Dakota's World War II Veterans'' compiled by Greg Latza.
  Upon return, Chief Bald Eagle went on to travel as a performer and 
has acted in at least 18 movies to date. While in Hollywood, Chief Bald 
Eagle worked alongside some of the most recognizable actors and 
actresses of that time: Clark Gable, John Wayne, and Marilyn Monroe. 
All the while he managed to stay connected to his home. For more than 
60 years, Chief Bald Eagle has annually participated in the Days of '76 
parade and rodeo in Deadwood, SD, providing the many thousands of 
people who attend the annual event a level of understanding and 
education about the Native American culture and heritage and the great 
impact of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people on the region. He is 
recognized as an honorary member of the Days of '76 Committee because 
of his contributions to their events. In 2008, he was honored by the 
South Dakota State Legislature with a House Commemoration honoring his 
life, character, and achievements.
  Madam President, Chief David Bald Eagle is a dear friend, and I 
appreciate being among those special people that he keeps in his 
prayers. I will never forget that he gave me my Lakota name several 
years ago in a special ceremony, ``Wacante Ognake,'' which means holds 
the people in his heart--a name I cherish and will never forget its 
importance.

                          ____________________