During a time of war, keeping tactical communications veiled from enemies is critically important. In World War I a special group of individuals were in charge of keeping the United States' tactical messages a secret from the enemy. These men were Native American code talkers who used a code based heavily on their native languages to stealthily transmit messages during wartime. The communication techniques of the code talkers was so effective during the first World War that the program was expanded and repeated in the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
In 1917 a group of eight Choctaws serving in the Army's 36th Infantry Division trained to use their native language in code. Their skills helped the American Expeditionary Force win several key battles in the final part of the war. Within 24 hours of the Choctaw language being used in service, the tide of the battle had turned. And in less than 72 hours the Germans were retreating and the allies were on the offensive. After the Japanese Army attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II, the U.S. Army recruited members of the Comanche Nation to assist the allied forces. The codes, based on native languages, were so difficult to decipher that the communications of the allied forces also remained intact.
Historians have noted that the actions of the code talkers were so invaluable and so great that countless American lives were saved because of them. And though the famous Navajo Wind Talkers were rightly given the Congressional Gold Medal, veteran code talkers from other tribes have not been given the same honor. That's why I worked with Representative Dan Boren and co-sponsored H.R. 4544, the Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2007, a bill to recognize the service of all code talkers who used their little known Native American languages to shield communications and confuse the enemy during a time of war. Currently, this bill has passed the House of Representatives. It is my hope that it will be considered by the Senate and signed into law by the President so the deeds of these brave men can be fully recognized.
As the only tribal enrolled Native American serving in Congress, I consider it a special privilege to advocate for recognition of these men and their actions. Over the course of history, Native Americans have demonstrated outstanding valor on the battlefield. In fact, they have the highest record of service per capita, more than any other demographic group. There are over 190,000 Native American veterans today. But most importantly, their service, along with that of all our brave men and women who have worn or wear the uniform of the United States, helped protect the lives of countless Americans. And for that they deserve to be honored.
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