[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 187 (Wednesday, December 7, 2011)]

[House]

[Pages H8252-H8258]

 

 

 

                      HONORING NAVAJO CODE TALKERS

 

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Reed). Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 5, 2011, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) is recognized for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the majority leader. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, thank you for joining me this evening to talk about a very special group of veterans, the Navajo Code Talkers. Tonight, my colleagues and I are going to share their stories and highlight the amazing accomplishments of this group of warriors. Their contribution to the Allied effort during World War II is widely credited with winning the Battle of Iwo Jima and making majors gains in the Pacific. During the early months of World War II, Japanese intelligence experts broke every code the U.S. forces devised. The Japanese were able to decode and intercept communications with ease. To combat this, increasingly complex codes were initiated that sometimes took hours at a time simply to decipher one message. Guadalcanal in 1942 was a turning point for the Allied military forces, who realized that the military communications needed a new direction, and new inspiration. Fortunately, an innovative citizen named Philip Johnston had the answer. As the son of a Protestant missionary, Johnston had grown up on the Navajo reservation and was one of less than 30 non-Navajos fluent in the unique Navajo language. He realized that since it had no alphabet and was almost impossible to master without early exposure, the Navajo language was a perfect choice to form a new, impenetrable military code. In 1942, Johnston completed an impressive demonstration of the Navajo language to the Commanding General of the Pacific Fleet headquartered in San Diego. He was then given permission to begin a pilot for the Navajo Code Talker program, and I would like to submit his letter dated March 8, 1942, for the Record.

 

                                   Headquarters, Amphibious Force,

 

 

                                  Pacific Fleet, Camp Elliott,

 

                                      San Diego, CA, March 6, 1942

     Subject: Enlistment of Navaho Indians.

 

     To: The Commandant,

     U.S. Marine Corps.

     Enclosures: (A) Brochure by Mr. Philip Johnston, with maps.

         (B) Messages used in demonstration.

  1. Mr. Philip Johnston of Los Angeles recently offered his services to this force to demonstrate the use of Indians for the transmission of messages by telephone and voice-radio. His offer was accepted and the demonstration was held for the Commanding General and his staff.2. The demonstration was interesting and successful. Messages were transmitted and received almost verbatim. In conducting the demonstration messages were written by a member of the staff and handed to the Indian; he would transmit the message in his tribal dialect and the Indian on the other end would write them down in English. The text of messages as written and received are enclosed. The Indians do not have many military terms in their dialect so it was necessary to give than a few minutes, before the demonstration, to improvise words for dive-bombing, anti-tank gun, etc.3. Mr. Johnston stated that the Navaho is the only tribe in the United States that has not been infested with German students during the past twenty years. These Germans, studying the various tribal dialects under the guise of art students, anthropologists, etc., have undoubtedly attained a good working knowledge of all tribal dialects except Navaho. For this reason the Navaho is the only tribe available offering complete security for the type of work under consideration. It is noted in Mr. Johnston's article(enclosed) that the Navaho is the largest tribe but the lowest in literacy. He stated, however, that 1,000--if that many were needed--could be found with the necessary qualifications. It should also be noted that the Navajo tribal dialect is completely unintelligible to all other tribes and all other people, with the possible exception ofas many as 28 Americans who have made a study of the dialect. This dialect is thus equivalent to a secret code to the enemy, and admirably suited for rapid, secure communication.4. It is therefore recommended that an effort be made to enlist 200 Navaho Indians for this force. In addition to linguistic qualifications in English and their tribal dialect they

Page H8253

 

     should have the physical qualifications for messengers.

                                                 Clayton B. Vogel,

                                               Commanding General.

 

  Their elite unit was formed in early 1942 when the first of the 29  Navajo Code Talkers were recruited by Johnston. The code was modified  and improved throughout the war, but it is so important to note that  these 29 Navajo heroes came up with the original code themselves.  Accordingly, they are often referred to reverently as the ``original  29.'' We will have the honor of reading their names a bit later this  evening.   Many of these enlistees were just boys with little exposure to the  world outside of the Navajo reservation. After the war, it was  discovered that recruits as young as 15 and as old as 35 years of age  had enlisted. In fact, a few of these men traveled to other towns on  the reservation, outside their clan where no one knew them and their  true age, in order to enlist underage and serve their country.   After sailing through basic training, the Navajo Code Talkers were  sent to Marine divisions in the Pacific theater of World War II. Their  reputation as innovators soon spread far and wide amongst their  commanding officers. In the field, they were not allowed to write any  part of the code down as a reference. In fact, the code existed only  amongst this small group. Under high pressure battle conditions, the  Code Talkers had to quickly recall their code accurately, or risk  hundreds or thousands of lives.   Make no mistake about the gravity of this accomplishment. The Navajo  Code Talkers created the only unbroken code in modern military history.  It baffled the Japanese forces. It was even indecipherable to a Navajo  soldier taken prisoner and tortured on Bataan.   The secret code created by the Navajo Code Talkers was a simple  marvel of linguistic invention. It contained native terms that were  associated with specialized or commonly used military language, as well  as native terms that represented letters in the alphabet.   English words with no Navajo translation were spelled out using the  Navajo alphabet. The selection of a given term was based on the first  letter of the English meaning of the Navajo word. For words that did  not translate into Navajo, the Code Talkers created code that did not  directly translate, but tended to resemble the things with which they  are associated. For example, the Navajo word for ``iron fish''  represented submarine. I could give many more examples, but I think  that one is particularly poignant. To say ``America,'' the Code Talkers  used the word ``ne-he-mah,'' which means ``our mother.''   This brilliant code allowed our U.S. Marines to communicate quickly  and accurately. The Code Talkers' brave work is widely credited with  successes of battle in the Pacific and, more ultimately, with helping  to end this tragic war.  

 

                              {time}  1930

 

  In the battle for Iwo Jima, in the first 48 hours alone they coded  over 800 transmissions with perfect accuracy.   While the true heroism of these brave warriors is known today, sadly,  the Code Talkers had to return home after the war without the heroes'  welcome they deserved. Ironically, the code was such a precious asset  to the U.S. military that it was classified and had to be kept secret.  While the code was declassified in 1968, it took years to properly  decorate those veterans. In 2001, nearly 60 years after they created  their legendary code, the Navajo Code Talkers finally received their  well-deserved Congressional Medals of Honor.   Today, only one original Code Talker remains, but the tradition lives  on. A delegation of the Four Corners States will attempt to recognize  these warriors one by one and give us their thoughts during this hour.   I would like to first recognize my good friend from Arizona (Mr.  Flake).   Mr. FLAKE. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for arranging this  Special Order. This is something that we in Arizona and anywhere in the  West in Utah and elsewhere have great pride in and that this  recognition, as the gentleman mentioned, came far too late and has been  far too little, given the amount of the impact that the Navajo Code  Talkers had on World War II.   So I'm pleased to be here and to lend my voice to recognition. As the  gentleman mentioned, only one of the original Code Talkers is still  living. So I think it's important that we recognize others who carried  on this code and tradition and helped out in this way.   This was a group, as we mentioned, of many Navajos, Native Americans,  who volunteered for the armed services in World War II. This was, as  the gentleman said, very successful. It was the only code that remained  unbroken. And one of the most amazing aspects of World War II is how  these people came together, as the gentleman mentioned, young kids in  their teen years and others, and volunteered for this effort. It's even  more remarkable when we note that many States did not permit Native  Americans to vote until the 1950s. Yet the Code Talkers were  undeterred. They wanted to help their country.   It's fitting that we honor this group on the anniversary of the  attack on Pearl Harbor, the start of World War II, because they had  such an integral part of ensuring that that brutal war came to an end.  I want to thank my colleague from Arizona and others who have come here  for putting together this timely tribute to make sure that these  individuals are recognized for the impact that they had in ending this  war and to ensure that this world remains free.   Mr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman.   I would like at this time to acknowledge my good friend from New  Mexico (Mr. Lujan).   Mr. LUJAN. I thank my colleague from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) for bringing  us together tonight as we get a chance to visit and celebrate heroes  that are amongst us, whether it's in spirit or body, as we are still so  fortunate to have Chester Nez with us, one of the original 29 as well.   With me tonight I have a few excerpts of articles that have been  written around the country that capture some stories recently in the  Fronteras Desk. An author by the name of Laurel Morales captured the  story of Chester Nez. It starts like this: ``Growing up in New Mexico,  Chester Nez and many of his fellow Navajo were punished for speaking  their language.''   You talk about a language as they were pulled away to boarding  schools, so many of the young Navajo across the country, and the  importance of what they were able to accomplish during World War II. In  the words of Major Howard Connor of the 5th Marine Division, he  declared that were it not for the Navajos, the marines would never have  taken Iwo Jima, and the importance of language and what they were able  to accomplish.   The article goes on to read that years later, Nez was shocked to  learn that he'd been recruited by the marines specifically to devise a  code using the same language the government tried to beat out of him.  It was extremely ironic. One of the very things they were forbidden to  do--speak Navajo--ended up helping us save the war.   Mr. Nez goes on to say that he and his fellow Code Talkers first  developed an alphabet, as you described, Mr. Gosar, using everyday  Navajo words to represent letters of words, as you talked about-- submarine: iron fish; besh-lo: iron fish; and hummingbird: dah-he-tih- hi to talk about fighter planes. It's amazing how when we talked about  the Japanese and how they were so effective at cracking codes, how they  couldn't crack this one.   Mr. Nez goes on to say in the article that being one of the last  original Code Talkers, he lives in Albuquerque with his son--a father  of six children. He has nine grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren. It goes on to say that ``today, with so many people  leaving the reservation, Navajo elders like Nez fear their language is  dying. Nez hopes Navajo children learn the story of Code Talkers so  they understand just how critical it is to learn their own language.''   And thank you for bringing us together, Mr. Gosar, this evening to  help celebrate the history of our Code Talkers, as it wasn't until  Senator Bingaman moved legislation back in 2000 to be able to give  honor to our original 29--a few of them, at the very least, and their  families--with gold medals, and silver medals to the others that were  also trained to go on.   So I think this is an example of a few stories that we'll be  submitting and sharing this evening to be able to celebrate the lives  and stories and the history, especially on today as we remember Pearl  Harbor and all the sacrifice  Page H8254  and all the families we lost that day and so many brave soldiers as  well.   Thanks for bringing this tonight. I look forward to many stories and  continuing to share many of the articles that we've been able to find  capturing the history and personal stories of our friend, our heroes,  the Code Talkers from all throughout New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.   Mr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman from New Mexico.   At this time I would like to recognize my good friend from Utah (Mr.  Chaffetz).   Mr. CHAFFETZ. Thank you. I appreciate the bipartisan nature in which  we do this. These are truly American heroes who have made a difference  in our lives and something we should all be proud of and never forget.  I worry as these gentlemen get older that somehow generations in the  future will maybe forget this.   I appreciate you, Mr. Gosar, for your commitment to them. I know  you're passionate about this. I can see it in your eyes when you talk  about it.   I wanted to recognize and pay special tribute to somebody who's  originally from Utah, Samuel Tom Holiday. He was a Navajo Code Talker.  He served in the United States Marine Corps 4th Marine Division, 25th  Regiment, the H&S Company. We're fortunate to still have him here with  us in our presence today.   Mr. Holiday was born in 1924 on a Navajo reservation near the  Monument Valley area of Utah, down near the Four Corners area. He was a  Navajo Code Talker in World War II. As you have talked about before,  Code Talkers transmitted tactical messages by telephone and radio in  the Dine language. It was a code the Japanese were never able to break  and was very instrumental in our war efforts.   At a young age, Samuel and his brothers hid from government agents  who came to send Navajo children to boarding schools. Holiday said he  was ultimately caught and forced to attend a boarding school where he  was not allowed to speak his native language. As he said, ``One of the  hardest times I had was learning to talk English. I would hide cookies  in my pockets to pay the older boys to teach me English. Whenever  they''--the school instructors--``found out I had talked Navajo, they  made me scrub floors, scrub walls. I spent much of my first year  scrubbing the wall.''   Mr. Holiday attended the school until he was 18 years old and he was  recruited into the Marine Corps. Mr. Holiday served in the Pacific  theatre from 1943 to 1945 in Saipan, Tinian, Kwajalein Atoll, and Iwo  Jima.   From Mr. Holiday: ``A lot of time they sent us where it was a very  dangerous spot, and I sent messages. They didn't know we were Navajo  Code Talkers using Navajo language.'' The very language he was punished  for using in his boarding school was suddenly a major asset to the  United States Marines.   Mr. Holiday remains active with the Navajo Code Talkers Association.  He's traveled throughout most of the United States conducting  presentations about the Code Talkers and about his life experiences  before and after the war. I was very pleased to see that Mr. Holiday  was awarded the Congressional Silver Medal, something he was very  worthy of, obviously.   It's interesting to me that the Navajo Code Talker Program was  actually a secret until after the war and was not declassified until  later in 1968. It was another 14 years before the Navajo Code Talkers  were recognized by the United States Government. In fact, in December  of 1982, President Ronald Reagan recognized the Code Talkers for their  dedicated service, unique achievement, patriotism, resourcefulness, and  courage.                                {time}  1940    August 14, 1982 was proclaimed National Navajo Code Talkers Day. I  think President Reagan did the right thing. I think it's something that  all Americans--I want my kids and people in Utah and across the Nation  to recognize the contributions and sacrifices that these people made.  They truly made a difference in our lives; instrumental in the war.   I appreciate this time to be able to recognize their achievements and  help to our country.   Mr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman from Utah.   I would like at this time to recognize my friend, the gentleman from  New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich).   Mr. HEINRICH. I want to thank the gentleman from Arizona for pulling  us together from around the four corners to honor these incredible  Native Americans, these incredible Americans, especially on this  historic anniversary. And I'm certainly honored to join my colleagues  tonight to honor the quiet valor of all the Navajo Code Talkers.   Today, some six decades since their service during World War II, only  one of the original 29 Code Talkers, Corporal Chester Nez, survives.  And I am incredibly proud of Corporal Nez, who at the age of 90 resides  in my congressional district in Albuquerque with his son Mike, his  daughter-in-law Rita, and their children.   Corporal Nez's story is much like the hundreds of Code Talkers who  followed in his footsteps. He grew up on the Navajo Nation to parents  who grew corn and pinto beans, kept goats and sheep. And he grew up in  a time when Navajos were sharply mistreated and even unable to vote in  our own elections in places throughout the Southwest. Yet in 1942, at  the age of 18, he sprung into action and he joined the 382nd Platoon in  a role that is largely credited with saving thousands of American  lives.   Along with the other 28 original Code Talkers, Corporal Nez developed  a code from their unwritten language. You can find the code's  explanation today in the index of his autobiography. And whether in  artillery, tanks, aboard ships or in infantry, the Code Talkers played  a vital role in some of the worst battles in the Pacific theater,  communicating battlefield codes that were never, ever broken by the  enemy. Their code-talking was considered so essential to the war that,  unlike their counterparts, many of them were forced to serve straight  through the war with no breaks for rest or trips back home. And today,  we widely recognize that their service helped turn the course of World  War II.   Yet because of the sheer secret of their role and the possibility  that they would be called back for the same duty in the future, the  actions of the Code Talkers weren't declassified until 23 years after  the war ended. And it wasn't until 55 years later that they were  bestowed with the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor and Silver Medal.   To the young people of the Navajo Nation for whom Corporal Nez's  quiet valor is a remarkable example, I encourage you to carry on his  legacy by keeping the Navajo language alive and well for generations to  come.   Mr. Speaker, I know that the Navajo Nation takes such pride in these  heroes. And on behalf of all of us who owe a tremendous debt of  gratitude for their service, I'm proud to recognize the courage,  service, and bravery of all the Navajo Code Talkers, and especially  Corporal Nez of Albuquerque, New Mexico.   Mr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman from New Mexico for that find.   I would now like to acknowledge my good friend from Arizona (Mr.  Schweikert).   Mr. SCHWEIKERT. Thank you, Congressman Gosar. For all of us, we truly  appreciate you organizing this.   When you consider today is the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and  the entry into World War II, for many of us who grew up with family  that had served, there's many heartbreaking stories. But when we reach  out and read and learn more about the Code Talkers story, it's one of  the great moments of pride for those of us from Arizona.   When you consider there were--my understanding is there were about  400 native Americans who served, but the 27--was it 27 or 29?   Mr. GOSAR. Twenty-nine.   Mr. SCHWEIKERT. Twenty-nine from Arizona, I've had the pleasure over  time of meeting some of them. I also know, as Arizona now is about to  begin celebrating its 100th anniversary--and I have, actually, it's a  little bit of a silly photo, but there is actually a smaller version of  this on my wall in my office. A few months ago we had our very first  celebration of beginning the 1-year celebration of our centennial as a  State, and we were featuring our Navajo Code Talkers. It is something  that many of us from the West are very, very proud of. And it was also  that little moment where if  Page H8255  you ever want to be a little humiliated, have them try to teach you to  speak a few Navajo words, and then the giggling begins on how badly you  pronounce it.   But for anyone who is listening, the Navajo Code Talkers have  actually built a foundation, and they actually have a wonderful Web  site that has data and stories. It is navajocodetalkers.org. I  encourage anyone to reach out and grab some of that information. These  are powerful stories of incredible service to our country in a time of  great need with a very unique skill and talent.   I thank the gentleman from Arizona for organizing this.   Mr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman from Arizona.   I want to take a few moments and honor one of our own in Arizona who  just recently died. It is my humble privilege to honor Allen Dale June,  one of the original 29 Code Talkers. He died just recently in September  of 2010 at the age of 91. He passed away of natural causes at the  Veterans Hospital in Prescott, Arizona, which is in my district. He is  survived by his wife and 10 children and was buried in Kaibeto, in the  heart of Navajo reservation.   June, who attained the rank of sergeant, received the Congressional  Gold Medal in 2001 along with other members of the original Code  Talkers. When he died, Navajo Nation Council Speaker Lawrence Morgan  said, ``The Navajo Nation lost a great warrior. His unique service to  his country brought positive attention to the Navajo Nation. He will be  missed.''   According to his wife, Virginia, June first tried to sign up for the  Marines in his hometown of Kaibeto, but a recruiter told him he was too  young. He then traveled to the reservation town of Chinle to enlist  because he figured people there wouldn't recognize him and he could lie  about his age and forge his father's signature. This dedication and  determination to serve their country was common among the Code Talkers  and shows character and bravery that we all should emulate.   Allen June was a humble man who did not like to brag about much, even  his remarkable service as a Code Talker. However, in the last years of  his life he wore his service proudly, sporting a red Navajo Code Talker  cap with his name on it.   I would like to take an opportunity and see if my colleague from New  Mexico would entertain a colloquy back and forth giving the roll call  of the names of the 29.  

 

 

  Mr. LUJAN. It would certainly be an honor, Mr. Gosar.

  Mr. GOSAR. Thank you, sir.

  The roll call for the Navajo Code Talkers, the original 29:

  Charlie Y. Begay.

  Mr. LUJAN. Royal L. Begay.

  Mr. GOSAR. Samuel Begay.

  Mr. LUJAN. John Ashi Benally.

  Mr. GOSAR. Wilsie Bitsie.

  Mr. LUJAN. Cosey S. Brown.

  Mr. GOSAR. John Brown, Jr.

  Mr. LUJAN. John Chee.

  Mr. GOSAR. Benjamin Cleveland.

  Mr. LUJAN. Eugene R. Crawford.

  Mr. GOSAR. David Curley.

  Mr. LUJAN. Lowell S. Damon.

  Mr. GOSAR. George H. Dennison.

  Mr. LUJAN. James Dixon.

  Mr. GOSAR. Carl N. Gorman.

  Mr. LUJAN. Oscar B. Ilthma.

  Mr. GOSAR. Allen Dale June.

  Mr. LUJAN. Alfred Leonard.

  Mr. GOSAR. Johnny R. Manuelito.

  Mr. LUJAN. William McCabe.

  Mr. GOSAR. Chester Nez.

  Mr. LUJAN. Jack Nez.

  Mr. GOSAR. Lloyd Oliver.

  Mr. LUJAN. Joe Palmer.

  Mr. GOSAR. Frank Danny Pete.

  Mr. LUJAN. Nelson S. Thompson.

  Mr. GOSAR. Harry Tsosie.

  Mr. LUJAN. John Willie.

  Mr. GOSAR. William Dean Wilson.

 

  Does my friend have any further comments?   Mr. LUJAN. Only to say again, Mr. Gosar, as we celebrate tonight, to  never forget about the contributions of the Navajo people to our great  Nation, with the work that they've done not only through the Cold War,  but going back to all the work that was done.        {time}  1950    As we pointed out earlier, in the words of Major Howard Connor, if it  were not for the Navajos, the marines never would have taken Iwo Jima.  It's a great night to be here to celebrate, and I thank you for  bringing us together.   I would like to submit into the Record an article from the Santa Fe  New Mexican, dated August 29, 2010, also capturing the story telling  and talking about Mr. Chester Nez, as well as the article, ``The Last  of the Navajo Code Talkers,'' by Laurel Morales, which was listed in  the Fronteras Desk.  [From the SantaFeNewMexican.com, Aug. 29, 2010]    An Original Code Talker Keeps Tale Alive--Few Remaining Members of        Elite Navajo Marine Unit    (By Felicia Fonseca)   Albuquerque.--Tourists hurry inside a shop here to buy books about the famed Navajo Code Talkers, warriors who used their native language as their primary weapon.  Outside, on a walk sheltered from the sun, nine of the Code Talkers sit at a table autographing the books. Each is an old man now. They wear similar caps and shirts, the scarlet and gold of the Marine Corps, and turquoise jewelry.  One of these men, who signs his name as Cpl. Chester Nez, is distinguished from the others. Below his signature, he jots down why: 1st Original 29.  Before hundreds of Code Talkers were recruited from the Navajo Nation to join the elite unit, 29 Navajos were recruited to develop the code--based on the then-unwritten Navajo language--that would confound Japanese military cryptologists and help win World War II.  Of the Original 29, only three survive. Nez is one.  The Code Talkers took part in every assault the Marines conducted in the Pacific, sending thousands of messages without error on Japanese troop movements, battlefield tactics and other communications critical to the war's ultimate outcome.  ``It's one of the greatest parts of history that we used our own native language during World War II,'' Nez said in an interview with The Associated Press. ``We're very proud of it.''  Nez tells the story succinctly. He is the last of the original group able to do so. One can hardly speak or hear, and the memory of the third is severely tested by Alzheimer's disease.  The 89-year-old Nez is limited, too. He is in a wheelchair after diabetes led to the amputation of both legs. These days, he'd rather ``just sit around, take it easy,'' he said.  As a boy, Nez lived in a traditional Navajo home and helped his family tend to sheep in Two Wells on the eastern side of the vast 27,000-square-mile reservation.  He played with toy cars, went barefoot, and spoke only his native language. That changed when he was sent to one of the boarding schools set up by the federal government to assimilate American Indian children into the broader culture.  At boarding school, Nez said he had his mouth washed out with soap for speaking Navajo--ironic indeed, considering the vital role that the unique language--and Nez--would come to play.  Nez was in 10th grade when a Marine recruiter came looking for young Navajos who were fluent in Navajo and English to serve in World War II. He jumped at the chance to defend his country, and to leave boarding school. He kept the decision to enlist a secret from his family and lied about his age, as did many others.  ``I told my roommate, `Let's try it out,' and that's what we did,'' Nez said. ``One reason we joined is the uniform--      they were so pretty, dress uniforms.''  About 250 Navajos showed up at Fort Defiance, Ariz., then a U.S. Army base. But only 29 were selected to join the first all-Native American unit of Marines. They were inducted in May 1942.  After basic training, the 382nd Platoon was tasked with developing the code.  There Nez met Allen Dale June and Lloyd Oliver, among the others. Using Navajo words for red soil, war chief, clan, braided hair, beads, ant and hummingbird, for example, they came up with a glossary of more than 200 terms, later expanded, and an alphabet.  At first, Nez said, the concern was whether or not the code could work. Then it proved impenetrable. ``The Japanese did everything in their power to break the code but they never did,'' he said.  Nez no longer remembers the code in its entirety, but easily switches from English to Navajo to repeat one instruction he delivered during fighting on Guadalcanal.  ``I always remember this one,'' Nez said. ``Enemy machine gun on your right flank, destroy!''  The Navajos trained in radio communications were walking copies of the code. Each message read aloud by a Code Talker was immediately destroyed.  ``When you're involved in the world of cryptology, you not only have to provide information, you have to protect that,'' said Patrick Weadon, curator of the National Cryptologic Museum. ``And there's no better example than the Navajo Code Talkers during World War II.''  The Code Talkers were constantly on the move, often from foxhole to foxhole. Nez had a close call in Guam with a sniper's bullet that whizzed past his head and struck a palm tree.  Once while running a message, Nez and his partner were mistaken for Japanese soldiers  Page H8256 and were threatened at gunpoint until a Marine lieutenant cleared up the confusion, his son, Michael, said.  ``Of course Dad couldn't tell them he was a Code Talker,'' Nez's son said.  The Code Talkers had orders not to discuss their roles--not during the war and not until their mission was declassified 23 years later.  In 2001 Nez, Dale and June traveled aboard the same plane to Washington, D.C., to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. The recognition, which they didn't receive when they returned home from war, propelled them to a sort of celebrity status, along with the release of a movie based on the Code Talkers the following year  They appeared on television, rode on floats in parades and were asked to speak to veterans groups and students.  Nez threw the opening pitch at a 2004 Major League Baseball game and blessed the presidential campaign of John Kerry. Oliver traveled with other Code Talkers as guests of honor in the nation's largest Veterans Day parade in New York last year.  When residents of Longmont, Colo., heard that June and his wife did not have a permanent home, they raised money to buy one for the couple.  The last three survivors of the Original 29 don't live on the Navajo Nation, where they are celebrated with a tribal holiday. They wonder about each other, but it's unlikely they'll reunite again.  After World War II, Nez volunteered to serve two more years during the Korean War and retired in 1974 after a 25-year career as a painter at the veterans hospital in Albuquerque.  June, 88, has spent the past few weeks in and out of hospitals in Wyoming and Arizona, and requires round-the-      clock care. His third wife, Virginia, calls herself ``the charm'' and the protector of an endangered species.  She's a walking promotion for him and the Marine Corps, yet she's careful of how much she says because he thinks it is unwelcome bragging.  Oliver's wife, Lucille, echoes similar sentiments about her husband. Oliver displayed few reminders in what, until earlier this year, was his home on the Yavapai Indian reservation in Camp Verde, Ariz.--a few framed pictures, a Marine cap above his bedroom window and a U.S. flag above the doorway.  ``He just put the past behind him, I guess,'' she says.  Oliver, 87, speaks audibly but his words are difficult to understand. His hearing is impaired and he prefers not to have a hearing aid.  Both June and Oliver had brothers who later served as Code Talkers.  Nez tells the tourists seeking autographs in Albuquerque that he's part of the Original 29, but few appear to grasp what that means.  ``Most of them,'' he says of the tourists, ``they just thank me for what we did.''  

                                  ____

 

 

                [From the Fronteras Desk, Nov. 11, 2011]

 

                  The Last of The Navajo Code Talkers

 

                          (By Laurel Morales)

 

    Flagstaff.--Only one veteran Navajo code talker remains of  the original 29 Navajo Marines who used their native language  to devise an unbreakable code during World War II.   Growing up in New Mexico, Chester Nez and many of his  fellow Navajo were punished for speaking their language. In  the 1920s, Nez attended one of many government run boarding  schools that attempted to erase Indian culture and language.   ``I often think about the things I went through, all the  hardships,'' Nez said. He was being interviewed at the  studios of KUNM in Albuquerque for Veterans Day.   Years later, Nez was shocked to learn he'd been recruited  by the Marines, specifically to devise a code using the same  language the government tried to beat out of him. Judith  Avila helped Nez write his memoir Code Talker, which was just  published.   ``It was extremely ironic one of the very things they were  forbidden to do--speak Navajo--ended up helping save us  during the war,'' Avila said.   During World War II, the Japanese had cracked code after  code the U.S. military used to hide their communications.  Then, a Marine by the name of Philip Johnston, who had been  raised on the Navajo Nation by white missionaries, suggested  enlisting the help of the Navajo tribe. They became known as  the code talkers.   Navajo, or Dine as it's called, is a spoken language. And  few non-Navajos understand its complexities. Nez and his  fellow code talkers first developed an alphabet using every  day Navajo words to represent letters, like the Navajo word  for ant became ``A.''   Chester Nez, seen here during World War II, is 90 and the  last of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers.   Then they came up with words for military terms. In Navajo,  there is no word for bomb. So they called it an egg. A  fighter plane was the Navajo word for hummingbird.   ``And the Japanese tried everything in their power to try  to decipher our code, but they never succeeded,'' Nez said.   He and his fellow code talkers were faced with many  cultural challenges during the war. The most difficult was  dealing with so much death.   The Navajo believe when you encounter a dead body that  person's spirit stays with you. Coming home after the war,  Nez remembered being haunted by these spirits.   ``They were all around me. I actually see them alongside my  bed,'' Nez said. ``This was one of the bad omen.''   His family performed a ceremony called the ``enemy way'' to  cleanse him After that, Nez said, he felt free of the ghosts.   The code talker program was secret. When Nez and the others  arrived home in 1945, there was no fanfare. The code remained  active for years after the war; it wasn't declassified until  1968. Still, it took decades before the men were officially  recognized.   In 2000, New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman introduced  legislation to honor the code talkers. The following year-- nearly six decades after the code was written--president  George W. bush awarded them Congressional Gold Medals.   ``Today we give these exceptional Marines the recognition  they earned so long ago,'' President Bush told a televised  crowd at the Capital Rotunda.   Only five of the original 29 were still alive.   Chester Nez stood tall, puffed out his chest and saluted  the president, while the crowd--many relatives of code talker  families--gave the group a standing ovation.   ``This gold medal is something I will treasure for as long  as I live,'' said Nez, now 90-years-old.   The last original code talker lives in Albuquerque with his  son. The father of six children, he has nine grandchildren  and eight great grandchildren.   Today with so many people leaving the reservation, Navajo  elders like Nez fear their language is dying. Nez hopes  Navajo children learn the story of the code talkers, so they  understand just how critical it is to learn and use their own  language.    Mr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman from New Mexico for his  contribution.   I would also like to start by going through the further list of the  Navajo Code Talkers in the honor roll:  

 

 

                        Navajo Code Talker list

 

             Confirmed by Marine Corps, as of 17 July 2001

 

  1. Akee, Dan 818638
  2. Anthony, Franklin 990074
  3. Apache, Jimmie 936773
  4. Arviso, Bennie 894438
  5. Ashike, Earl 990140
  6. Ashley, Regis 894674
  7. Attikai, Harold 990084
  8. Augustine, John 894402
  9. Ayze, Lewis 990075
  10. Bahe, Henry 479876
  11. Bahe, Woody 875423
  12. Baldwin, Benjamin 818564
  13. Beard, Harold 894537
  14. Becenti, Roy L. 831055
  15. Bedoni, Sidney 479771
  16. Begay, Carlos 818566
  17. Begay, Charlie Sosie 830976
  18. Begay, Flemming 830977
  19. Begay, George 990132
  20. Begay, Henry 990142
  21. Begay, Jerry C. 830979
  22. Begay, Joe 990094
  23. Begay, Lee 990116
  24. Begay, Leo 990126
  25. Begay, Leonard 990210
  26. Begay, Notah 875405
  27. Begay, Paul 479917
  28. Begay, Samuel H. 358525
  29. Begay, Thomas H. 537144
  30. Begay, Walter 990073
  31. Begay, Willie K.1000016
  32. Begay, Wilson J. 894417
  33. Begody, David M. 990209
  34. Begody, Roger 875422
  35. Belinda, Wilmer 875407
  36. Belone, Harry 936837
  37. Benallie, Jimmie D. 964665
  38. Benally, Harrison Lee 1000075
  39. Benally, Harry 894507
  40. Benally, Jimmie L. 831045
  41. Benally, Johnson D. 875371
  42. Benally, Samuel 1000078
  43. Benton, Sr., Willie 830980
  44. Bernard, John 875276
  45. Betone, Lloyd 830963
  46. Bia, Andrew 990072
  47. Billey, Wilfred 830982
  48. Billie, Ben 1000045
  49. Billiman, Howard 521004
  50. Billison, Samuel (Dr.) 831074
  51. Billy, Sam Jones 830981
  52. Bitsie, Peter J. 1000037
  53. Bitsoie, Delford 990061
  54. Bizardie, Jesse 875495
  55. Black, Jesse 990205
  56. Blatchford, Paul 818633
  57. Bluehorse, David M. 831043
  58. Bowman, John Henry 403099
  59. Bowman, Robert 936938
  60. Brown, Arthur 990125
  61. Brown, Clarence Paul 990088
  62. Brown, Tsosie Herman 990202
  63. Brown, William Tully 990109
  64. Buck, Wilford 1000019
  65. Burke, Bobby 894411
  66. Burnie, Jose 1000100
  67. Burnside, Francis 548184
  68. Burr, Sandy 830984
  69. Cadman, William 936839
  70. Calleditto, Andrew 448919
  71. Carroll, Oscar Tsosie 894622
  72. Cattle Chaser, Dennis 479729
  73. Cayedito, Del 830985
  74. Cayedito, Ralph 830986
  75. Charley, Carson Bahe 894600
  76. Charlie, Sam 990199
  77. Chase, Frederick 479873
  78. Chavez, George 831098
  79. Chee, Guy 990200
  80. Clah, Stewart 965051
  81. Claw, Thomas 818547
  82. Cleveland, Billie 521016
  83. Cleveland, Ned 894519
  84. Cody, Leslie 479834

 

Page H8257

 

  1. Cohoe, James Charles 416497
  2. Craig, Bob Etcitty 830988
  3. Crawford, Karl Kee 478278
  4. Cronemeyer, Walter 990201
  5. Crosby, Billy 990035
  6. Csinnjinni, Carl 416351
  7. Dale, Ray 448911
  8. Damon, Anson C. 990227
  9. Davis, Tully 875378
  10. Deel, Martin Dale 818563
  11. Dehiya, Dan 830989
  12. Dennison, Leo 990107
  13. Dodge, Jerome Cody 894478
  14. Doolie, John 830990
  15. Doolie, Richardson 479723
  16. Draper, Nelson 990098
  17. Draper, Teddy Sr. 875345
  18. Etsicitty, Kee 830991
  19. Etsitty, Deswood 875304
  20. Evans, Harold 990097
  21. Foghorn, Ray 830992
  22. Francisco, Jimmy 818625
  23. Gatewood, Joseph P. 479889
  24. George, William 894441
  25. Gishal, Milton M. 875283
  26. Gleason, Jimmie 894446
  27. Goodluck, John 830933
  28. Gorman, Tom 818627
  29. Grayson, Bill L. 990052
  30. Greymountain, Yazzie 894538
  31. Guerito, Billy Lewis 830994
  32. Gustine, Tully 830995
  33. Guy, Charles 875406
  34. Harding, Ben Williams 990091
  35. Harding, Jack W. 479888
  36. Hardy, Tom 894628
  37. Harrison, Emmett 894479
  38. Haskie, Ross 358587
  39. Hawthorne, Roy Orville 990027
  40. Haycock, Bud 990196
  41. Hemstreet, Leslie 936840
  42. Henry, Albert 830996
  43. Henry, Edmund Juan 830997
  44. Henry, Kent Carl 936779
  45. Hickman, Dean Junian 990103
  46. Holiday, Calvin 990198
  47. Holiday, Samuel Tom 818614
  48. Housewood, Johnson 448907
  49. Housteen, Dennie 479730
  50. Howard, Ambrose 818574
  51. Hubbard, Arthur Jose 1000128
  52. Hudson, Lewey 894521
  53. Hunter, Tom 875445
  54. James, Benjamin 830998
  55. James, Billie 875301
  56. James, George B. 875342
  57. Johle, Elliott 894447
  58. John, Charlie T. 875395
  59. John, Leroy M. Sr. 448918
  60. Johns, Edmund 448908
  61. Johnny, Earl 830999
  62. Johnson, Deswood R. 844625
  63. Johnson, Francis T. 479772
  64. Johnson, Johnnie 537164
  65. Johnson, Peter 894412
  66. Johnson, Ralph 990086
  67. Jones, Jack 818548
  68. Jones, Tom H. Jr. 831001
  69. Jordan, David 831000
  70. June, Floyd 479768
  71. Keams, Percy 990028
  72. Keedah, Wilson 894673
  73. Kellwood, Joe H. 479704
  74. Kescoli, Alonzo 875397
  75. Ketchum, Bahe 875416
  76. King, Jimmie 448910
  77. Kinlacheeny, Paul 894414
  78. Kinsel, John 448912
  79. Kirk, George H. 831003
  80. Kirk, Leo 585379
  81. Kiyaani, Mike 894629
  82. Kontz, Rex T. 448921
  83. Lapahie, Harrison 831046
  84. Largo, James 990095
  85. Little, Keith M. 818629
  86. Lopez, Tommy K. 831059
  87. MacDonald, Peter 1000079
  88. Malone, Max 894621
  89. Malone, Rex 831101
  90. Malone, Robert 831075
  91. Maloney, James 990085
  92. Maloney, Paul E. 875431
  93. Manuelito, Ben C. 479800
  94. Manuelito, Ira 831005
  95. Manuelito, James C. 831060
  96. Manuelito, Peter 1000234
  97. Marianito, Frank 936841
  98. Mark, Robert 990093
  99. Martin, Matthew 894406
  100. Martinez, Jose 894550
  101. McCraith, Archibald 990110
  102. Mike, King Paul 894671
  103. Miles, General 990096
  104. Moffitt, Tom Clah 894473
  105. Morgan, Jack C. 830932
  106. Morgan, Ralph 448920
  107. Morris, Joe 894601
  108. Moss, George 990093
  109. Multine, Oscar P. 875314
  110. Murphy, Calvin H. 875360
  111. Nagurski, Adolph N. 875384
  112. Nahkai, James T. Jr. 831006
  113. Nakaidinae, Peter Sr. 479861
  114. Napa, Martin Felix
  115. Negale, Harding 936842
  116. Newman, Alfred 831007
  117. Nez, Arthur 1000176
  118. Nez, Freeland 875252
  119. Nez, Israel Hosteen 479769
  120. Nez, Sidney 894511
  121. Notah, Roy 448914
  122. Notah, Willie Anthony 875300
  123. O'Dell, Billy 479877
  124. Oliver, Willard V. 831008
  125. Paddock, Layton 479871
  126. Pahe, Robert D. 831114
  127. Parrish, Paul A. 416414
  128. Patrick, Amos Roy 936843
  129. Patterson, David Earl 831043
  130. Peaches, Alfred James 875372
  131. Peshlakai, Sam 894440
  132. Peterson, Joe Sr. 1000089
  133. Pinto, Gaul (Guy) 831047
  134. Pinto, John Senator 990189
  135. Platero, Richard 894460
  136. Preston, Jimmie 479801
  137. Reed, Sam 875369
  138. Roanhorse, Harry C. 831011
  139. Sage, Andy 831012
  140. Sage, Denny 818604
  141. Salabiye, Jerry E. 1000024
  142. Sandoval, Peter P. 831088
  143. Sandoval, Samuel F. 831013
  144. Sandoval, Thomas 831014
  145. Scott, John 875415
  146. Sells, John C. 936956
  147. Shields, Freddie 894442
  148. Shorty, Dooley 1000177
  149. Shorty, Robert T. 831049
  150. Silversmith, Joe A. 831015
  151. Silversmith, Sammy 831050
  152. Singer, Oscar Jones 990122
  153. Singer, Richard 479774
  154. Skeet, Wilson Chee 1000081
  155. Slinkey, Richard T. 479727
  156. Slivers, Albert J. Sr. 990068
  157. Smiley, Arcenio 894508
  158. Smith, Albert 831062
  159. Smith, George 831063
  160. Smith, Raymond R. 857535
  161. Smith, Samuel Jesse 831073
  162. Soce, George B. 831016
  163. Sorrell, Benjamin G. 448905
  164. Spencer, Harry 990197
  165. Tabaha, Johnnie 990076
  166. Tah, Alfred 479831
  167. Tah, Edward 894676
  168. Talley, John N. 831017
  169. Tallsalt, Bert 990082
  170. Thomas, Edward 990129
  171. Thomas, Richard 894520
  172. Thompson, Clare M. 875458
  173. Thompson, Everett M. 818518
  174. Thompson, Francis T. 537182
  175. Thompson, Frank T. 403057
  176. Todacheene, Carl Leon 831018
  177. Todacheene, Frank Carl 990105
  178. Tohe, Benson 537165
  179. Toledo, Curtis 831051
  180. Toledo, Frank 479759
  181. Toledo, Preston 479757
  182. Toledo, Willie 479756
  183. Towne, Joseph H. 479721
  184. Towne, Zane 479770
  185. Tso, Chester H. 894413
  186. Tso, Howard B. 894677
  187. Tso, Paul Edward 990071
  188. Tso, Samuel 818546
  189. Tsosie, Alfred 831019
  190. Tsosie, Cecil G. 831020
  191. Tsosie, Collins D. 831021
  192. Tsosie, Kenneth 831025
  193. Tsosie, Samuel Sr. 479913
  194. Upshaw, John 990099
  195. Upshaw, William 875364
  196. Vandever, Joe 831026
  197. Wagner, Oliver 990162
  198. Wallace, Stephan P. 1000022
  199. Walley, Robert 831027
  200. Werito, John 831052
  201. Whitman, Lyman J. 894466
  202. Willetto, Frank, Jr. 831029
  203. Willetto, Frankie Chee 894509
  204. Williams, Alex 875338
  205. Williams, Kenneth 875370
  206. Willie, George B. 875408
  207. Woody, Clarence Bahi 990092
  208. Yazhe, Ernest 448949
  209. Yazhe, Harrison A. 875363
  210. Yazza, Peter 875442
  211. Yazza, Vincent 1000109
  212. Yazzie, Clifton 894593
  213. Yazzie, Daniel 831030
  214. Yazzie, Eddie Melvin 521223
  215. Yazzie, Edison Kee 875390
  216. Yazzie, Felix 416408
  217. Yazzie, Francis 1000101
  218. Yazzie, Frank H. 990101
  219. Yazzie, Harding 894480
  220. Yazzie, Harold 537154
  221. Yazzie, Joe Shorty 830962
  222. Yazzie, John 990113
  223. Yazzie, Justin D. 1000126
  224. Yazzie, Lemuel Rev. 990062
  225. Yazzie, Ned 990112
  226. Yazzie, Pahe Denet 479773
  227. Yazzie, Raphael 831053
  228. Yazzie, Robert 831031
  229. Yazzie, William 875347
  230. Yellowhair, Leon 990100
  231. Yellowhair, Stanley 818600
  232. Yellowman, Howard 831032
  233. Yoe, George 990119
  234. Zah, Henry 894551

 

 

                       LISTED, BUT NOT CONFIRMED

 

  1. Alfred, Johnnie 479728
  2. Allen, Perry 818534
  3. Becenti, Ned 448948
  4. Begay, Edward 474862
  5. Begay, Jimmie 419878
  6. Begay, Johnson 965045
  7. Brown, Ned 818534
  8. Clark, Jimmie 830987
  9. Fowler, King 990080
  10. Gray, Harvey 448909
  11. Jenson, Nevy 990178
  12. Jose, Teddy 448913
  13. Kennepah, Jessie 358451
  14. Morgan, Herbert 448922
  15. Morgan, Sam 831100
  16. Nez, Howard 403039
  17. Nez, Howard H. 831086
  18. Otero, Tom 831009
  19. Singer, Tom 448916
  20. Smith, Enoch 998953
  21. Sorrel, Jerome 448915
  22. Tsosie, David W. 831022
  23. Tsosie, Howard 964998
  24. Tsosie, Howard J. 831024
  25. Whitman, Joe Reid 831028
  26. Wilson, William 567102
  27. Yazzie, Charley H. 831054
  28. Yazzie, Sam W. 990036

 

Page H8258

 

                      PENDING/WAITING FOR RECORDS

 

  1. Anderson, Edward 956330
  2. Brown, N.A. 964770
  3. Burnside, Francis A. 548184
  4. Curley, Rueban 875229
  5. David, Alfred
  6. Dooley, Richard 807198
  7. Foster, Harold Y. 537154
  8. Freeman, Edwin
  9. Goldtooth, Emmett
  10. Goodman, Billie 875280
  11. Harthorn, Rodger 2314982
  12. Jake, H.
  13. Kien, William 831058
  14. Leroy, George
  15. Leuppe, Edward 381004
  16. Nazwood, Johnson
  17. Peterson, David 831043
  18. Price, Joe F. 894626
  19. Price, Wilson H. 358592
  20. Sandoval, Merril Leon 831048
  21. Tracey, Peter 257670
  22. Tsosie, Woody B.
  23. Visalia, Buster

 

 

                               NOT LISTED

 

  1. Babiye, Don
  2. Barber, Willie
  3. Begaye, Flemming 830977
  4. Bejay, Charlie
  5. Burbank, Askee
  6. Clauschee, Guy 990200
  7. Hanigahnie Jake
  8. Kent, Carl Henry
  9. Livingston, ?
  10. Lod(v?)ato, Joe T.
  11. Martinez, Martin
  12. Peshlakai, Wallace Jr.
  13. Singer, William
  14. Yazzie ?, Leon
  15. Yazzie, Peter

 

  It is with that I submit those names on a wonderful treasure from the

Four Corners to America, and what they gave this country is so

valuable. You look back on their life and what they gave us is

immeasurable. What I would also like to do is honor them on today, the

anniversary of Pearl Harbor; and I hope that we would look fondly on

their attributes and what they gave to this great country because we

are all great because of them.

  I also want to take the liberty of acknowledging one other person.

It's her birthday today. It's my mom. She turned 78. Happy birthday,

Mom.

  I yield back the balance of my time.

 

                          ____________________