ALASKAN LEGISLATURE CITATION HONORS FIVE DECEASED TLINGIT WWII CODE TALKERS
The citation, for exemplary military service & for the crucial role of the Code Talkers in World War II, went posthumously to Robert Jeff David, Sr., Richard Bean, Sr., George Lewis, Jr., and brothers Harvey Jacobs & Mark Jacobs, Jr. Noted was the irony that the Code Talkers, once punished in school for speaking their Native tongue, were called upon to use it to save American lives. Until recently, no one knew that there were Tlingit Code Talkers. Even their families did not know. “They took their orders seriously, to never talk about it,” said Southeast Alaska Native Veterans Commander Ozzie Sheakley. The Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008 honored every Native American Code Talker in WWI & WWII. President George W. Bush authorized Congressional Gold Medals of individual design for each tribe & silver medals for each Code Talker. In November 2013, Congress awarded the silver medals to the Tlingit Code Talkers and Sheakley received the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of the Tlingit tribe.
Source: “Alaska Legislature passes proclamation honoring Tlingit code talkers,” Sealaska, 3/6/2019. Retrieved 6/4/2021, HeritageNEWS_Alaska Legislature passes proclamation honoring Tlingit code talkers | Sealaska Heritage Medal: U.S Mint, 2008. Tlingit Code Talker Congressional Medal. Public Domain.
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