Tlingit Code Talkers feted in Alaska for World War II role
By RACHEL D'ORO today
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Army veteran Richard Bean Sr. took his wartime secret to the grave, dying a hero without anyone knowing about it for decades.
Now, Bean and four other long-deceased Alaska Natives are being hailed in their home state this month for their lifesaving efforts as servicemen.
During World War II, they made good use of the Tlingit language they were forbidden to speak as schoolchildren in their southeast Alaska villages. They used their native language to help the military outsmart the Japanese with codes they could not break, as did their more well-known peers, the Navajo Code Talkers.
It’s a long way from the days of the men’s youth, when their language was suppressed by missionaries and teachers trying to “civilize” them, said Rosita Worl, president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute, a Juneau nonprofit aimed at preserving and enhancing the cultures of southeast Alaska’s Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes. Punishments for students who spoke their language included having their mouths washed out with soap and their hands struck with rulers, according to Worl.
https://apnews.com/36bf9881f08442028facc02f2fcbaa81
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In 2013, Congress recognized the Code Talkers from 33 tribes, including the Tlingit men, who were posthumously awarded silver medals. Sheakley also received a Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of the entire Tlingit tribe.
Given the national honors, former Alaska state Rep. and Tlingit Vietnam veteran Bill Thomas thought state recognition would soon follow.
“I just waited and waited and waited,” Thomas said. “I finally said, ‘Hey, it’s time to pay tribute to these men.’”
State lawmakers agreed when Thomas pushed for the idea along with the Sealaska Heritage Institute. Earlier this month, legislators passed a formal citation honoring the Tlingit Code Talkers. State flags were flown at half-staff and later presented to the men’s families.
The now-celebrated role the men played in history was a stunning discovery for the family of George Lewis Jr.
His son, Ray Lewis, was born after the war and never even knew his father was in the military. There are no military records in the family to even indicate what branch the elder Lewis served in, he said.
It was a great honor to learn his father was part of such important work.
“I’m very proud of it,” Ray Lewis said. “My father was instrumental in saving a lot of lives out there.”
= new reply since forum marked as read
I knew about the Navajos, before the Cage movie BTW, it's part of the USMC tradition.
Good to see others getting the recognition they deserve.
"STOP SPEAKING YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE! IT'S UNCIVILIZED!"
World War II comes around, and the U.S. Armed Forces need an unbreakable code for radio transmissions.
"Hey! We need you to speak your native language for us. Oh, and risk your life in the process!"
What a bunch of fucking hypocrites our white forbears were... 
