Washington D.C., November 12, 2013 – Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) announces he will join House colleagues in honoring WWI and WWII Native American Code Talkers at the Capitol next week.
“On November 20th, 2013, these heroes will receive the Congressional Gold Medal in thanks and recognition of their selfless and invaluable service to our country and our allies. I am honored to be witnessing this historic event. The Native American Code Talkers had deep impacts on the course of the war and were pivotal in saving lives.
The dedication and generosity of the Code Talkers in using their heritage and language to help preserve the freedom of our country deserves our recognition, respect and thanks.”
Congress will honor 33 tribes as part of the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, which will be held in the Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center. Arizona tribes being recognized include the White Mountain Apache Tribe, Tonto Apache Tribe and The Hopi Tribe.
Native American Code Talkers were Native Americans in US military service who transmitted sensitive communications in code using their native languages. The languages were unique to tribal members, creating a secure code that prevented the enemy from gaining knowledge of the message contents if intercepted.