[Congressional Record: September 23, 2008 (House)]
[Page H8696-H8699]
CODE TALKERS RECOGNITION ACT OF 2008
Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4544) to require the issuance of medals to recognize the
dedication and valor of Native American code talkers, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4544
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
of 2008''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to require the issuance of
medals to express the sense of the Congress that--
(1) the service of Native American code talkers to the
United States deserves immediate recognition for dedication
and valor; and
(2) honoring Native American code talkers is long overdue.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) When the United States entered World War I, Native
Americans were not accorded the status of citizens of the
United States.
(2) Without regard to that lack of citizenship, members of
Indian tribes and nations enlisted in the Armed Forces to
fight on behalf of the United States.
(3) The first reported use of Native American code talkers
was on October 17, 1918.
(4) Because the language used by the Choctaw code talkers
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.
(5) This use of Native American code talkers was the first
time in modern warfare that such a transmission of messages
in a native language was used for the purpose of confusing an
enemy.
(6) On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, and the Congress declared war the following day.
(7) The Federal Government called on the Comanche Nation to
support the military effort during World War II by recruiting
and enlisting Comanche men to serve in the Army to develop a
secret code based on the Comanche language.
(8) The United States Army recruited approximately 50
Native Americans for special native language communication
assignments.
(9) The United States Marine Corps recruited several
hundred Navajos for duty in the Pacific region.
(10) During World War II, the United States employed Native
American code talkers who developed secret means of
communication based on native languages and were critical to
winning the war.
(11) To the frustration of the enemies of the United
States, the code developed by the Native American code
talkers proved to be unbreakable and was used extensively
throughout the European theater.
(12) In 2001, the Congress and President Bush honored
Navajo code talkers with congressional gold medals for the
contributions of the code talkers to the United States Armed
Forces as radio operators during World War II.
(13) The heroic and dramatic contributions of Native
American code talkers were instrumental in driving back Axis
forces across the Pacific during World War II.
(14) The Congress should provide to all Native American
code talkers the recognition the code talkers deserve for the
contributions of the code talkers to United States victories
in World War I and World War II.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) Code talker.--The term ``code talker'' means a Native
American who--
(A) served in the Armed Forces during a foreign conflict in
which the United States was involved; and
(B) transmitted (encoded and translated) secret coded
messages for tactical military operations during World War I
and World War II using their native tribal language (non-
spontaneous communications)
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Treasury.
SEC. 5. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS.
(a) Award Authorization.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf
of the Congress, of gold medals of appropriate design in
recognition of the service of Native American code talkers
during World War I and World War II.
(b) Identification of Recipients.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the tribes,
shall--
(1) determine the identity, to the maximum extent
practicable, of each Native American tribe that had a member
of that tribe serve as a Native American code talker, with
the exception of the Navajo Nation;
(2) include the name of each Native American tribe
identified under subparagraph (A) on a list; and
(3) provide the list, and any updates to the list, to the
Smithsonian Institution for maintenance under section
5(c)(2).
(c) Design and Striking of Medals.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall strike the gold medals
awarded under subsection (a) with appropriate emblems,
devices, and inscriptions, as determined by the Secretary.
(2) Designs of medals emblematic of tribal affiliation and
participation.--The design of a gold medal under paragraph
(1) shall be emblematic of the participation of the code
talkers of each recognized tribe.
(3) Treatment.--Each medal struck pursuant to this
subsection shall be considered to be a national medal for
purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
(d) Action by Smithsonian Institution.--The Smithsonian
Institution--
(1) shall accept and maintain such gold medals, and such
silver duplicates of those medals, as recognized tribes elect
to send to the Smithsonian Institution;
(2) shall maintain the list developed under section 6(1) of
the names of Native American code talkers of each recognized
tribe; and
(3) is encouraged to create a standing exhibit for Native
American code talkers or Native American veterans.
SEC. 6. NATIVE AMERICAN CODE TALKERS.
The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of
Defense and the tribes, shall--
(1) with respect to tribes recognized as of the date of the
enactment of this Act --
(A) determine the identity, to the maximum extent
practicable, of each Native American code talker of each
recognized tribe with the exception of the Navajo Nation;
(B) include the name of each Native American code talker
identified under subparagraph (A) on a list, to be organized
by recognized tribe; and
(C) provide the list, and any updates to the list, to the
Smithsonian Institution for maintenance under section
5(d)(2);
(2) in the future, determine whether any Indian tribe that
is not a recognized as of the date of the enactment of this
Act, should be eligible to receive a gold medal under this
Act; and
(3) with consultation from the tribes listed in following
subsection, examine the following specific tribes to
determine the existence of Code Talkers:
(A) Assiniboine.
(B) Chippewa and Oneida.
(C) Choctaw.
(D) Comanche.
(E) Cree.
(F) Crow.
(G) Hopi.
(H) Kiowa.
(I) Menominee.
(J) Mississauga.
(K) Muscogee.
(L) Sac and Fox.
(M) Sioux.
SEC. 7. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
(a) Silver Duplicate Medals.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall strike duplicates in
silver of the gold medals struck under section 5(b), to be
awarded in accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) Eligibility for award.--
(A) In general.--A Native American shall be eligible to be
awarded a silver duplicate medal struck under paragraph (1)
in recognition of the service of Native American code talkers
of the recognized tribe of the Native American, if the Native
American served in the Armed Forces as a code talker in any
foreign conflict in which the United States was involved
during the 20th century.
(B) Death of code talker.--In the event of the death of a
Native American code talker who had not been awarded a silver
duplicate medal under this subsection, the Secretary may
award a silver duplicate medal to the next of kin or other
personal representative of the Native American code talker.
(C) Determination.--Eligibility for an award under this
subsection shall be determined by the Secretary in accordance
with section 6.
(b) Bronze Duplicate Medals.--The Secretary may strike and
sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant
to section 4 under such regulations as the Secretary may
prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof,
including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold and silver
medals.
SEC. 8. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authority to Use Fund Amounts.--There are authorized to
be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise
Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the cost of
the medals struck pursuant to this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of
duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 7(b) shall
be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise
Fund.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) and the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs.
Capito) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within
[[Page H8697]]
which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to
insert extraneous material thereon.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4544, the Code Talkers
Recognition Act of 2008.
This legislation directs the Speaker of the House and the President
pro tempore of the Senate to authorize the award of gold medals to
deserving individual Native American code talkers from specified Native
American tribes.
The bill defines ``code talker'' as a Native American who served in
the Armed Forces during a foreign conflict and who participated in
military communications using a native language. However, the bill
excludes members of the Navajo tribe because, in 2001, the Congress
honored Navajo code talkers with Congressional Gold Medals for their
contributions as radio operators during World War II.
The legislation further directs the Secretary of the Treasury and the
Secretary of Defense to identify individual code talkers deserving of
this recognition.
I urge passage of this bill.
House of Representatives,
Committee on House Administration,
Washington, DC, September 12, 2008.
Hon. Barney Frank,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn HOB,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Frank: I understand that your committee is
considering bringing to the Floor H.R. 4544, the ``Code
Talkers Recognition Act of 2007.'' The Committee on House
Administration received an additional referral for this bill
due to the inclusion of section 5(c), which gives an
important role to the Smithsonian Institution in maintaining
a list of tribes and receiving medals which the tribes may
choose to donate. It is my understanding that the intent of
the legislation is that, if the tribes provide the medals to
the Smithsonian, they then would become the Smithsonian's
property for possible exhibition or other appropriate
purpose.
The House Administration Committee is the principal
committee of jurisdiction over the Smithsonian Institution
under Rule X. We recognize that, at this point in the
session, there is a desire to move legislation as
expeditiously as possible. Therefore, we will waive any
further consideration of the bill and agree to be discharged.
However, we do so with the understanding that the Committee
does not waive any future jurisdictional claims over similar
measures. In the event of any conference with the Senate, the
Committee reserves the right to seek the appointment of
conferees and to have your support.
I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter in the
Congressional Record during any consideration of H.R. 4544 on
the House floor.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brady,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Financial Services,
Washington, DC, September 19, 2008.
Hon. Robert A. Brady,
Chairman, Committee on House Administration, House of
Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing in response to your letter
regarding H.R. 4544, the ``Code Talkers Recognition Act of
2007.'' This bill was introduced in the House on December 13,
2007 and referred to the Committee on Financial Services and
in addition to the Committee on House Administration. It is
my understanding that this bill will be scheduled for floor
consideration shortly.
I wish to confirm our mutual understanding on this bill.
The legislation gives an important role to the Smithsonian
Institution in maintaining a list of tribes and receiving
medals which the tribe may wish to donate and I acknowledge
your committee's jurisdictional interest in such matters.
However, I appreciate your willingness to forego committee
action on H.R. 4544 in order to allow the bill to come to the
floor expeditiously. I agree that your decision to forego
further action on this bill will not prejudice the Committee
on House Administration with respect to its jurisdictional
prerogatives on this or similar legislation. I would support
your request for conferees on those provisions within your
jurisdiction should this bill be the subject of a House-
Senate conference.
I will include this exchange of letters in the
Congressional Record when this bill is considered by the
House. Thank you again for your assistance.
Barney Frank,
Chairman.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4544, the
Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008, introduced by the gentleman from
Oklahoma (Mr. Boren).
This legislation honoring the Native American code talkers, who
served this country so honorably in the First and Second World Wars, is
long overdue.
Mr. Speaker, the history of Native American code talkers is long and
honorable. And I'm going to go through a little bit of this, beginning
with their striking display of patriotism.
When the First World War broke out, Native Americans were technically
not citizens of the United States--hard to believe, really;
nevertheless, many enlisted and fought honorably as part of the
American Expeditionary Force that helped to defeat the German armies.
In those days, as the technology of warfare changed and the size of
the battlefields grew, it was necessary to transmit tactical
information over what we would consider rudimentary and very unsecure
communications methods that in many cases were easy for the enemy to
intercept.
During the Second Battle of the Somme in September of 1918, and later
during the Meuse-Argonne campaign in the waning days of the war,
Cherokee and Choctaw natives used their own language to communicate
tactical information. Since their languages were not related to any
European language, the Germans intercepting it were baffled, even
though the code itself was rather simple--a tank was a turtle, for
example.
Again, in the Second World War, Native Americans signed up in large
numbers to fight in both Europe and in the Pacific theater. The best
known of these were the Navajos, who worked with the Marines in the
Pacific. But considering both wars, code talkers came from as many as
17 different tribes.
Interestingly, the code talkers weren't used much in the European
theater until D-day, because it was known that Adolf Hitler had been
aware of the code talkers' successful role in World War I and had sent
teams of German anthropologists to learn Native American languages
before the start of the Second World War. The effort was largely
unsuccessful, though, because there were so many different languages
and dialects of those languages.
The role of the code talkers was largely unknown until 1968, when the
story was declassified. Since then, President Reagan declared a ``Code
Talkers Day,'' and in 2001 President Bush presented the Congressional
Gold Medal to several Navajo code talkers.
{time} 2145
Unfortunately, the bill authorizing that medal did not acknowledge
the role of Code Talker heroes from other tribes in the First World War
as well as the second.
Mr. Speaker, it has taken nearly a decade to address this oversight,
and through the hard work of the gentlelady from Texas, Ms. Granger,
and most recently Mr. Boren, bills were introduced to do so in each
Congress since the original legislation passed. We are now at the
historic point, thanks to Mr. Boren's legislation, that we can move to
recognize the other heroes from the other tribes. I urge my colleagues
to support this bill enthusiastically.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the gentleman from Oklahoma
(Mr. Boren) for 7 minutes.
Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with the support of 300 of my
colleagues to honor a forgotten group of American war heroes. As many
of you know, the State of Oklahoma has a long and rich Native American
heritage. My congressional district is home to 17 of the 37 federally
recognized tribes headquartered in Oklahoma.
Millions of these Native Americans count themselves among the proud
veterans who defended this Nation during a time of war. But today, Mr.
Speaker, I ask my fellow colleagues to join me in honoring the brave
service of a small group of veterans. It is estimated that 12,000
Native Americans served in our Armed Forces during World War I and over
45,000 bravely fought during World War II. Among those was a small band
of Choctaw Indians that were the beginning of what would become the
Native American Code Talkers. They
[[Page H8698]]
would eventually play a critical but very unique role in the Allies'
victory over evil and tyranny.
During World War I, feeling a sense of duty to the cause of freedom,
a number of Choctaws answered the call to serve. They began their
service assigned to the 142nd Infantry of the 36th Division of the
Texas-Oklahoma National Guard. Their first action was as a unit in
France. At that time, communication by telephone and by radio on the
battlefield was still developing. But both types of transmissions were
under constant surveillance by the German enemy.
Army movements and supply shipments were being ambushed by the
Germans on a constant basis costing thousands of lives. At one point
Colonel A.W. Bloor, the commanding officer of the 142nd Infantry,
believed that the Germans were cracking every message his division sent
by radio or by phone. Frustrated with the division's inability to
communicate safely, an officer recalled that the division included a
company of Native Americans. After hearing these men speak to one
another on a regular basis, it occurred to him that their language
could hold the key to encoding the Allies' transmissions. After all, a
few of these men spoke 20 dialects, many of which had never even been
written.
In October of 1918, the Choctaw Code Talkers' ability to secretly
communicate over radio resulted in a surprise momentum-shifting attack
on the German enemy in northern France's Argonne forest. What began as
6 to 10 Choctaw transmitting a handful of coded messages quickly grew
into a much larger group of soldiers spread across the European battle
front. As the tide of World War I began to turn in favor of the Allies,
military commanders came to rely on these Native American Code Talkers
to communicate their most sensitive information.
Many believe to this day that not a single Code Talker transmission
was ever cracked by the enemy. Army leaders began to notice immediately
that troop movements were no longer mirrored and supply convoys were
not ambushed. After realizing the effectiveness of the Choctaw Code
Talkers, U.S. military leadership sought out and recruited leaders of
such tribes as the Comanche, Choctaw, Seminole, Hopis, Cherokee, Sioux,
Navaho, as well as many others.
During World War II, the Native American Code Talkers would once
again prove their effectiveness, this time on two fronts, in the
Pacific and in Europe. Many high-ranking military officials contend
that the United States would have never won the Battle of Iwo Jima
without the unbreakable communications of the Native American Code
Talkers.
So, Mr. Speaker, with this historical contribution to liberty and
freedom in mind, it is our duty to honor these brave men, their
families and their tribes. Let us never forget the valiant and noble
service of the Native American Code Talkers. They are truly some of
America's greatest war heroes.
In closing, I would like to take a moment to thank the many people
who have worked tirelessly to commemorate these brave men. There are
far too many to name in a brief time, but I would like to mention a
few. I would like to commend the National Congress of American Indians
for supporting this legislation and for their unwavering dedication to
Native Americans everywhere. I would also like to acknowledge Chairman
Frank and his staff for working with me on bringing this legislation to
the floor. I would also pay tribute to Dale Kildee, and most especially
my colleague from Oklahoma, Tom Cole, for his tireless effort in
getting so many of the cosponsors on this legislation.
Finally, I would like to thank Chief Gregory Pyle of the Choctaw
Nation. His dedication and leadership to his people, to all Native
Americans, to the State of Oklahoma and to this great Nation is the
mark of a true statesman. I am proud to call him both a mentor and a
friend.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the Native American Code
Talkers Act.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).
Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. I thank my good friend from West Virginia for
yielding so graciously.
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today in support
of H.R. 4544, the Code Talkers Recognition Act, which would award the
Congressional Gold Medal to Native American Code Talkers who assisted
the allied powers in World War I and World War II to deceive and
confuse our enemies in both conflicts. It's a particular personal
pleasure to me, Mr. Speaker, because not only am I a Native American,
Chickasaw, but my ancestry is both Choctaw and Chickasaw. My great
grandfather had both tribes in his veins. And it's a wonderful treat
for me to be able to participate in this.
I would also first like to thank my dear friend and colleague, Mr.
Boren, who introduced this legislation and without whose hard work this
bill would simply not be here today. He has worked hard and tirelessly
to honor a group of Americans that deserve recognition. And I
appreciate it so much, my dear friend.
To date only the famous Navaho Wind Talkers have received this
prestigious award, and it's only right and proper, Mr. Speaker, that
Congress finally recognize all of the Code Talkers that dedicated their
service to the United States of America. As an Oklahoman and as the
only Native American currently serving in Congress, I am very happy to
be here before you today to participate in awarding this honor to these
fine individuals and their tribes.
Native Americans have a long, complex and honorable relationship with
the United States military. Native Americans have fought against and
with the United States military throughout the entire history of our
country. And despite the often egregious policies of our government
towards Indian country, thousands of Native Americans from dozens of
tribes have helped protect our homeland. Indeed the first allies of the
United States in the Revolution were the Oneida tribe. There was the
Seneca present with Grant when he accepted the surrender of Robert E.
Lee. As a matter of fact Robert E. Lee called him the only real
American present at the ceremony. And of course in the Plains wars in
the West, Indians fought on both sides of the conflict. Indeed our
first President, General Washington, once commented the only way to
defeat Native Americans was to be allied with Native Americans against
other Native Americans because they were formidable and elusive foes.
Over the course of American history, Native Americans have
demonstrated outstanding valor on the battlefield. And they have
consistently received awards and commendations for their outstanding
service. Historically Native Americans have the highest record of
service per capita of any ethnic group or demographic group in our
country. There are currently over 190,000 Native American veterans.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation awards the congressional medal to 13
individual tribes whose members assisted in this effort of defending
our country. By using Native languages that were unidentifiable to the
enemy forces in Europe and in the Pacific, the Code Talkers contributed
to the victory of allied powers in both the First and the Second World
Wars. Without their efforts it is clear that we would have lost
countless additional lives and wars would have dragged on longer than
necessary. Though most Native Americans did not even have United States
citizenship in the First World War, there were a few. My tribe actually
did. And we were pretty good negotiators. And most Oklahoma tribes got
theirs a little bit ahead. But most tribes and most members who served
in our Armed Forces were not citizens. They volunteered their service
to defend their country despite that lack of citizenship.
It is estimated that more than 12,000 American Indians and about 600
Oklahoma tribal members served the United States military in the First
World War. Despite the fact that most in the United States considered
their heritage and their language to be obsolete in the first decade of
the 20th century, these individuals volunteered for their country and
helped turn the tide in one of the bloodiest wars in human history.
In 1917 a group of eight Choctaw serving in the Army's 36th Infantry
Division trained to use their language in code. They helped the
American Expeditionary Force win several key battles
[[Page H8699]]
in the final big push of the war. Other tribes continued to be
recruited into the service of our country in later conflicts. Almost
immediately after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United
States entered the Second World War, the Army recruited members of the
Comanche Nation, located in my district, to assist the Allied Forces.
Throughout the war other tribes were also recruited to carry out these
efforts. And throughout that conflict, the Axis powers could neither
decipher the codes based on Native language nor significantly undermine
efforts to communicate in that language. The use of these languages
significantly improved the tactical efforts of the Allied powers. These
efforts were certainly remarkable, Mr. Speaker, and the contribution of
these men clearly deserves to be recognized by Congress.
Mr. Speaker, Native American Code Talkers of the First and Second
World War are true American heroes without whose efforts our troops
would have certainly suffered greater casualties and would have
certainly experienced slower progress in their efforts to end these
conflicts. For too long our country has failed to recognize the efforts
made by these great Native American citizens. It is time that we
acknowledge and honor the contributions and service of these Native
Americans who dedicated their service to our country by awarding them
the Congressional Gold Medal.
I urge Members to honor these courageous men and their tribes and
vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4544.
Mr. GUTIERREZ. I ask if there are any further requests for time on
the other side or does the gentlelady yield back?
Mrs. CAPITO. I have no further requests.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R.
4544, the ``Code Talker Recognition Act.''
As a cosponsor of H.R. 4544, I would like to thank Representative
Boren for introducing this important bill to honor our nation's Native
American Code Talkers--including code talkers from South Dakota's Sioux
tribes--with this long overdue recognition.
South Dakota is home to the last living Lakota code talker--Clarence
Wolf Guts. Clarence, who is an 84-year-old Lakota warrior from the
Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, was the personal code
talker for Major General Paul Mueller, commander of the U.S. Army's
81st Infantry. He traveled with Gen. Mueller and the 81st as the
division moved from island to island during the fight against the
Japanese during World War II.
I am privileged to have this opportunity to thank Clarence for his
service during World War II and to honor all of our Nation's code
talkers--whose efforts prevented the enemy from intercepting vital
communications--saving the lives of countless American members of the
Armed Forces.
Again, I would like to thank Representtive Boren for his leadership
and to thank our Nation's code talkers, who serve as an inspiration for
all Americans to emulate.
Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4544, the
Code Talker Recognition Act.
I am proud to say that this legislation, which I am an original
cosponsor, will finally recognize the men who served as code talkers
for our great Nation during World War I and World War II.
Eight of those men who specifically will be honored today are members
of the Meskwaki tribe based in Tama County, Iowa.
In January 1941, nearly a year before Pearl Harbor, 27 Meskwaki men,
then 16 percent of Iowa's Meskwaki population enlisted in the Army. Of
those 27, eight became code talkers: Edward Benson; Dewey Roberts;
Frank Sanache; Willard Sanache; Melvin Twin; Judy Wayne Wabaunasee;
Mike Wayne Wabaunasee; and Dewey Youngbear.
The Meskwaki men trained in Marshalltown and served together in the
168th Infantry, 34th Division. After jungle warfare training in
Louisiana and code talker training in Scotland and then in England,
they were sent to North Africa.
While in North Africa Frank Sanache ventured out far beyond the
battalion and using a walkie-talkie directed artillery fire in the
desert. He said ``It was the worst place this side of hell.''
The enemy was never able to translate the native Meskwaki language,
and the Meskwaki Code Talkers, among other Code Talkers are credited
with saving the lives of countless members of the United States Armed
Forces and contributing significantly to the victory of our Nation.
I am pleased to see that finally this bill will be brought to the
House floor--it has taken many years to get to this point and even
though many of those who are being honored are no longer with us at
least their family members and loved ones have the opportunity to
finally see them receive the gratitude and respect of our country.
Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4544, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
____________________
