IOWA CITY - Eight Meskwaki tribal members who used their native language to save lives and outwit American enemies in World War II deserve a Congressional Medal, Sen. Charles Grassley says.

Grassley, R-Iowa, is co-sponsor of a bill that would honor code talkers from the Meskwaki and other tribes that were overlooked when medals were awarded to Navajo code talkers in 2001.

"It's about time to give them some recognition," said Robin Roberts, a Meskwaki tribe member who has lobbied on behalf of his tribe's war heroes.

"They were out front in the war, out in front of everybody, because many acted as scouts. A lot of them never made it back," said Roberts, whose uncle, Dewey Roberts, was one of the Meskwaki code talkers.

During World War II, American military planners used a code language derived from a variety of American Indian languages to communicate enemy troop movements, direct artillery fire and other secret information through walkie-talkies. The codes were never cracked by Axis forces.

The Meskwaki, based in Tama County, were among 18 tribes that contributed code talkers during the war. But their achievements went largely unnoticed because the code was classified until 1968.

The Navajo code talkers are perhaps the best known. The Navajo tribe contributed more than 350 code talkers to the war effort, some of whom inspired the 2002 Hollywood movie "Windtalkers."

Twenty-nine original Navajo code talkers were presented with the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bush in 2001. Others who qualified as code talkers received the Congressional Silver Medal.

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., introduced the bill last year to award medals to more than two dozen code talkers from the Sioux, Comanche and Choctaw tribes.

Grassley followed with an amendment to include the eight Meskwaki code talkers, who were assigned to the 168th Infantry, 34th "Red Bull" Division of the Iowa Army National Guard, and dispatched to North Africa. The 34th Division also fought in Italy, at Anzio and Monte Cassino.

"These brave people put their lives in harm's way for their country," Grassley said. "Their sacrifices should not be forgotten."

For some, the recognition comes a little late.

Just one of the Meskwaki code talkers, Frank Sanache, is still alive. Repeated telephone messages left for Sanache, a former Meskwaki Tribal Council member who will turn 86 on Sunday, were not returned.

Described by Roberts and relatives as humble and reluctant to talk about his war experience and ultimate capture by German forces, Sanache told The Associated Press in an interview two years ago that fighting in the desert "was the worst place this side of hell."

The other code talkers were Sanache's brother Willard, Dewey Youngbear, Edward Benson, Judy Wayne Wabaunasee, Mike Wayne Wabaunasee, Dewey Roberts and Mike Twin.

Earlier this month, the Iowa Legislature passed a resolution urging Congress to recognize the Meskwaki code talkers for their heroism.

Grassley's bill is not the first attempt at congressional recognition for Meskwaki code talkers. In 2002, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, introduced similar legislation, but it was never approved and ultimately died.