Dusty Johnson: “I wish to speak today of the Code Talkers Recognition Act, which passed the Senate last week with 79 cosponsors. This…”

“I wish to speak today of the Code Talkers Recognition Act, which passed the Senate last week with 79 cosponsors. This bill would present commemorative medals to Sioux, Comanche, Choctaw, Sac and Fox, and any other Native American code talkers that served during World War I and World War II in recognition of the contributions of their service to the United States. Earlier this summer, I, along with Senator John Thune, were able to present Clarence Wolf Guts, our last remaining Lakota code talker, with a star quilt on behalf of the National Indian Education Association. Mr. Wolf Guts is now 83 years old and is of Oglala and Rosebud descent. Mr. Wolf Guts attended St. Francis Indian School in Marty, SD, and spent most of his life living on the Pine Ridge Reservation. He now lives in a state veteran's home in Hot Springs, SD. In his late teens, Mr. Wolf Guts enlisted in the Marines and served as a radio operator during World War II. He has become a spokesman among tribal elders and traditional leaders about the importance of keeping native languages alive for future generations. He is very proud to be a veteran, a full-blooded Lakota, and a Lakota speaker.”