I had the privilege this past weekend of speaking at the official dedication ceremony for the new Ho-Chunk World War II Code Talkers Memorial Highway.

It was my bill that was signed into law last session that renamed a local portion of Interstate 90 to honor the members of the Ho-Chunk Nation who served as code talkers during World War II.

Working in pairs and using portable radios, one code talker would translate messages from English to their native language to a fellow code talker who would then translate them back to English from their native language. These secret codes – which were never deciphered by the enemy – were essential in helping the Allies win the war.

Because the mission of the code talkers was classified and not listed in their discharge papers, it was rather difficult to acknowledge their contributions during the war. Now that we have a better understanding of their courageous service, I found it important to ensure these veterans’ sacrifices are never forgotten.

Here's how WXOW covered the story: