Page H3613-H3617
CODE TALKERS RECOGNITION ACT
Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
[[Page H3614]]
pass the bill (H.R. 3250) to authorize the President to present a gold medal on behalf of Congress to the Sioux Indians who served as Sioux Code Talkers during World War II in recognition of their service to the Nation, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3250
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Code Talkers Recognition Act”.
SEC. 2. EXPRESSION OF RECOGNITION.
The purpose of the medals authorized by this Act are to express recognition by the United States and its citizens and to honor the Native American Code Talkers who distinguished themselves in performing highly successful communications operations of a unique type that greatly assisted in saving countless lives and in hastening the end of World War I and World War II.
TITLE I–SIOUX CODE TALKERS
SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Sioux Indians used their native languages, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota Sioux, as code during World War II.
(2) These people, who manned radio communications networks to advise of enemy actions, became known as the Sioux Code Talkers.
(3) Under some of the heaviest combat action, the Code Talkers worked around the clock to provide information which saved the lives of many Americans in the Pacific and Europe, such as the location of enemy troops and the number of enemy guns.
(4) The Sioux Code Talkers were so successful that military commanders credit the code with saving the lives of countless American soldiers and being instrumental to the success of the United States in many battles during World War II.
SEC. 102. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate
arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design, to each Sioux Code Talker, including the following:
(1) Eddie Eagle Boy.
(2) Simon Brokenleg.
(3) Iver Crow Eagle, Sr.
(4) Edmund St. John.
(5) Walter C. John.
(6) John Bear King.
(7) Phillip “Stoney” LaBlanc.
(8) Baptiste Pumpkinseed.
(9) Guy Rondell.
(10) Charles Whitepipe.
(11) Clarence Wolfguts.
For once the government did the right thing. It is unfortunate that it took so long.