Post by Okwes on Sept 27, 2006 13:38:20 GMT -5
Senate approves measure to honor Meskwaki 'code talkers'
www.muscatinejournal.com/articles/2006/09/21/ap-state-ia/d8k91q00\
3.txt
<http://www.muscatinejournal.com/articles/2006/09/21/ap-state-ia/d8k91q0\
03.txt>
DES MOINES, Iowa - Eight Meskwakis may soon receive congressional gold
medals for helping the United States track enemy forces during World War
II.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a measure that would allow Congress
to honor all American Indians who served as "code talkers" during the
20th century, said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. The bill needs approval
from the House and President Bush.
"The Meskwakis were intensely involved in World War II, and it only
makes sense that they get the recognition that they have long deserved,"
said Grassley, who co-sponsored the measure when it was first introduced
last year. "Native Americans from all across the country made sacrifices
and they should not be forgotten."
The Meskwakis, whose settlement is based in Tama County, were among
those from 18 tribes who used their language as a secret code during
World War II. The U.S. military used the code to communicate enemy troop
movements, direct artillery fire and other secret information through
walkie-talkies. The codes were never cracked by enemy forces.
The code talkers' achievements went largely unnoticed because the code
was classified until 1968. Twenty-nine original Navajo code talkers were
presented with the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bush in 2001.
Others who qualified as code talkers received the Congressional Silver
Medal.
The Meskwakis, all of whom have died, never received that recognition.
They were assigned to missions in Algeria, Tunisia and Italy.
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, honored six of the Meskwaki code talkers with
medals last year. He credited the United States' success in northern
Africa to "the heroism of the code talkers and the valuable information
they sent back."
Grassley said the legislation lists the names of the Meskwaki code
talkers. They include Dewey Youngbear, Edward Benson, Dewey Roberts,
Melvin Twin, Judie Carl Wayne, Mike Wayne, Wayne Sanache and Frank
Sanache.
The Navajo code talkers are perhaps the best known code talkers. The
Navajo tribe contributed more than 350 code talkers to the war, some of
whom inspired the 2002 Hollywood movie "Windtalkers."
www.muscatinejournal.com/articles/2006/09/21/ap-state-ia/d8k91q00\
3.txt
<http://www.muscatinejournal.com/articles/2006/09/21/ap-state-ia/d8k91q0\
03.txt>
DES MOINES, Iowa - Eight Meskwakis may soon receive congressional gold
medals for helping the United States track enemy forces during World War
II.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a measure that would allow Congress
to honor all American Indians who served as "code talkers" during the
20th century, said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. The bill needs approval
from the House and President Bush.
"The Meskwakis were intensely involved in World War II, and it only
makes sense that they get the recognition that they have long deserved,"
said Grassley, who co-sponsored the measure when it was first introduced
last year. "Native Americans from all across the country made sacrifices
and they should not be forgotten."
The Meskwakis, whose settlement is based in Tama County, were among
those from 18 tribes who used their language as a secret code during
World War II. The U.S. military used the code to communicate enemy troop
movements, direct artillery fire and other secret information through
walkie-talkies. The codes were never cracked by enemy forces.
The code talkers' achievements went largely unnoticed because the code
was classified until 1968. Twenty-nine original Navajo code talkers were
presented with the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bush in 2001.
Others who qualified as code talkers received the Congressional Silver
Medal.
The Meskwakis, all of whom have died, never received that recognition.
They were assigned to missions in Algeria, Tunisia and Italy.
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, honored six of the Meskwaki code talkers with
medals last year. He credited the United States' success in northern
Africa to "the heroism of the code talkers and the valuable information
they sent back."
Grassley said the legislation lists the names of the Meskwaki code
talkers. They include Dewey Youngbear, Edward Benson, Dewey Roberts,
Melvin Twin, Judie Carl Wayne, Mike Wayne, Wayne Sanache and Frank
Sanache.
The Navajo code talkers are perhaps the best known code talkers. The
Navajo tribe contributed more than 350 code talkers to the war, some of
whom inspired the 2002 Hollywood movie "Windtalkers."