- April 28, 2024
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Leslie Macias' grandfather was a Comanche code talker. She and her family will travel to Washington D.C. next month to accept the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal for his service.
BY WAYNE GRANT | STAFF WRITER
Leslie Macias, of Ormond Beach, has another name: "Tu-se-wepa."
Given to her by her Comanche grandmother, the name means "real woman."
Macias is half Comanche and very proud of her heritage. She has boxes packed with newspaper clippings and documents about her famous great-great-great-grandfather, the legendary Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, as well as of her grandfather, Robert Holder, a Comanche code talker in World War II.
That’s why she’s excited to be planning a November trip to Washington D.C. Her grandfather, along with other American Indian code talkers, is going to be recognized by the U.S. Congress. The tribe will be presented with a Congressional Gold Medal and family members will receive a duplicate medal in silver.
“It took many years, but now they are going to be honored for it,” Macias said.
The Navajo nation, which provided the greatest number of code talkers, was recognized in 2002. It was not until 2008, after years of lobbying, that Congress passed an act to honor the other 32 tribes that also provided code talkers. Macias’ grandfather was one of 17 Comanche code talkers of World War II, according to Lanny Asepermy, historian for the Comanche Indian Veterans Association.
The code talkers were trained in semaphore and Morse code and served in combat in the infantry signal corp. They transmitted messages in their own language so the German Army could not understand.
“They called a tank the Comanche word for turtle because it was slow and green,” she said.
Macias said that people don’t realize the risks code talkers took during the war.
“My grandfather climbed up and strung power lines while bullets were flying,” she said. “It was a huge contribution and an important part of the war.” He was awarded a purple heart and a bronze star, she added.
Growing up, Macias said she never realized her dad was a hero until her mother started telling her stories. She’s glad now, after all these years, that it will all be “out in the open."
“I’m glad to be part of the ceremony,” she said. “I speak proudly about my heritage.” She said she is sometimes asked by groups to talk about the code talkers.
Also, seeing the nation’s capital is a “chance of a lifetime,” especially since her trip is being funded by the Comanche Nation.
“We’re going to do a lot of walking and take a lot of pictures,” she said.
She looks forward to being with her parents who live in the small town of Geronimo, Oklahoma, where she grew up.
Geronimo is small, without even a traffic light, but Indian culture runs deep.
“There was always a pow wow or a festival going on,” Macias said. “I go to the pow wow here and it makes me miss home. Every one of my relatives is back there.”
Macias moved to Florida in 1996. She worked as an X-ray technician for a while and now is an Ormond Beach bar manager.
She also belongs to social media groups that share research about American Indian history and culture.
“I’m always learning new stuff,” she said.
Macias and her family will be in attendance Nov. 20, along with more than 160 other members of the Comanche nation, at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Building in Emancipation Hall, where the medal will be awarded. It is not known if the presenter will be President Barrack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden or Speaker of the House John Boehner.
In 2011, Macias traveled to Oklahoma when her grandfather was inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame.
The Congressional Gold Medal is awarded to someone who has performed an achievement that has had an impact on American history and culture. It is the highest civilian award bestowed by Congress, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
