109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4597
To authorize the presentation of gold medals on behalf of Congress
to Native Americans who served as Code Talkers during foreign conflicts
in which the United States was involved during the 20th Century in recognition
of their service to the Nation.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 16, 2005
Ms. GRANGER (for herself, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr.
CASE, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. FRANK
of Massachusetts, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HALL, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HAYWORTH,
Ms. HERSETH, Mr. INSLEE, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. JEFFERSON, Ms. KAPTUR,
Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KIND, Mr. LEWIS of California,
Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. MANZULLO, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. NEY, Ms. NORTON,
Mr. PALLONE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. RENZI, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. WEXLER,
and Mr. WOLF) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Financial Services
A BILL
To authorize the presentation of gold medals on behalf of Congress
to Native Americans who served as Code Talkers during foreign conflicts
in which the United States was involved during the 20th Century in recognition
of their service to the Nation.
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:
(7) Phillip `Stoney' LaBlanc.
(8) Baptiste Pumpkinseed.
TITLE II--COMANCHE CODE TALKERS
SEC. 201. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Empire attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,
and the Congress declared war the following day.
(2) The military code, developed by the United States for transmitting
messages, had been deciphered by the Axis powers, and United States military
intelligence sought to develop a new means to counter the enemy.
(3) The United States Government called upon the Comanche Nation to support
the military effort by recruiting and enlisting Comanche men to serve
in the United States Army to develop a secret code based on the Comanche
language.
(4) At the time, the Comanches were second-class citizens, and they were
a people who were discouraged from using their own language.
(5) The Comanches of the 4th Signal Division became known as the `Comanche
Code Talkers' and helped to develop a code using their language to communicate
military messages during the D-Day invasion and in the European theater
during World War II.
(6) To the enemy's frustration, the code developed by these Native American
Indians proved to be unbreakable and was used extensively throughout the
European theater.
(7) The Comanche language, discouraged in the past, was instrumental in
developing one of the most significant and successful military codes of
World War II.
(8) The Comanche Code Talkers contributed greatly to the Allied war effort
in Europe and were instrumental in winning the war in Europe. Their efforts
saved countless lives.
(9) Only 1 of the Comanche Code Talkers of World War II remains alive
today.
(10) The time has come for the United States Congress to honor the Comanche
Code Talkers for their valor and their service to the Nation.
(11) The congressional gold medals authorized by this title are the recognition
and honor by the United States and its citizens of the Comanche Code Talkers
who distinguished themselves in performing a unique, highly successful
communications operation that greatly assisted in saving countless lives
and in hastening the end of World War II in Europe.
SEC. 202. 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
of the following Comanche Code Talkers of World War II, in recognition of
their contributions to the Nation:
TITLE III--CHOCTAW CODE TALKERS
SEC. 301. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On April 6, 1917, the United States, after extraordinary provocations,
declared war on Germany, thus the United States entered World War I, the
War to End All Wars.
(2) At the time of this declaration of war, Indian people in the United
States, including members of the Choctaw Nation, were not accorded the
status of citizens of the United States.
(3) Without regard to this lack of citizenship, many members of the Choctaw
Nation joined many members of other Indian tribes and nations in enlisting
in the Armed Forces to fight on behalf of their native land.
(4) Members of the Choctaw Nation were enlisted in the force known as
the American Expeditionary Force, which began hostile actions in France
in the fall of 1917, and specifically, members of the Choctaw Nation were
incorporated in a company of Indian enlistees serving in the 142d Infantry
Company of the 36th Division.
(5) A major impediment to Allied operations in general, and American operations
in particular, was the fact that the German forces had deciphered all
codes used for transmitting information between Allied commands, leading
to substantial loss of men and materiel during the first year of American
action.
(6) Because of the proximity and static nature of the battle lines, a
method to communicate without the knowledge of the enemy was needed.
(7) An American commander realized the fact that he had under his command
a number of men who spoke a native language. While the use of such native
languages was discouraged by the American Government, the commander sought
out and recruited 18 Choctaw Indians to use for transmission of field
telephone communications during an upcoming campaign.
(8) Because the language used by the Choctaw soldiers in the transmission
of information was not based on a European language or on a mathematical
progression, the Germans were unable to understand any of the transmissions.
(9) The Choctaw soldiers were placed in different command positions, to
achieve the widest possible area for communications.
(10) The use of the Choctaw Code Talkers was particularly important in
the movement of American soldiers in October of 1918 (including securing
forward and exposed positions), in the protection of supplies during American
action (including protecting gun emplacements from enemy shelling), and
in the preparation for the assault on German positions in the final stages
of combat operations in the fall of 1918.
(11) In the opinion of the officers involved, the use of Choctaw Indians
to transmit information in their native language saved men and munitions,
and was highly successful. Based on this successful experience, Choctaw
Indians were being withdrawn from frontline units for training in transmission
of codes so as to be more widely used when the war came to a halt.
(12) The Germans never succeeded in breaking the Choctaw code.
(13) This was the first time in modern warfare that such transmission
of messages in a native American language was used for the purpose of
confusing the enemy.
(14) This action by members of the Choctaw Nation is another example of
the commitment of American Indians to the defense of our great Nation
and adds to the proud legacy of such service.
(15) The Choctaw Nation has honored the actions of these 18 Choctaw Code
Talkers through a memorial bearing their names located at the entrance
of the tribal complex in Durant, Oklahoma.
SEC. 302. 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 honoring
the Choctaw Code Talkers.
TITLE IV--GENERAL PROVISIONS
SEC. 401. MEDALS FOR OTHER CODE TALKERS.
(a) Presentation Authorized- In addition to the gold medals authorized to
be presented under section 102, 202, and 302, 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 any other Native American Code Talker identified
by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to subsection (b) who has not previously
received a congressional gold medal.
(b) Identification of Other Native American Code Talkers-
(1) IN GENERAL- Any Native American member of the United States Armed
Forces who served as a Code Talker in any foreign conflict in which the
United States was involved during the 20th Century shall be eligible for
a gold medal under this section.
(2) DETERMINATION- Eligibility under paragraph (1) shall be determined
by the Secretary of Defense and such Secretary shall establish a list
of the names of such eligible individuals before the end of the 120-day
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 402. PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL MEDALS UNDER THIS ACT.
(a) Medals Awarded Posthumously- Medals authorized by this Act may be awarded
posthumously on behalf of, and presented to the next of kin or other representative
of, a Native American Code Talker.
(1) IN GENERAL- For purposes of any presentation of a gold medal under
this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall strike gold medals with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
(2) DESIGNS EMBLEMATIC OF TRIBAL AFFILIATION- The design of the gold medals
struck under this Act for Native American Code talkers of the same Indian
tribe shall be emblematic of the participation of the Code Talkers of
such Indian tribe.
(3) INDIAN TRIBE DEFINED- For purposes of this subsection, the term `Indian
tribe' has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act.
SEC. 403. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary of the Treasury may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of
the gold medals struck under this Act in accordance with such regulations
as the Secretary may prescribe, and at a price sufficient to cover the costs
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead
expenses, and the cost of the bronze medal.
SEC. 404. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals for purposes
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 405. FUNDING.
(a) Authority to Use Fund Amounts- There is authorized to be charged against
the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be necessary
to pay for the costs of the medals authorized by this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale- Amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze
medals under section 403 shall be deposited in the United States Mint Public
Enterprise Fund.
END
