Where's Smokey?
In late October of 2002, two visitors at War in the Pacific National Historical Park, located on the U.S. territory of Guam, made a fascinating discovery dating to World War II, and possibly connecting the war effort to the Sioux Tribe.
Located about 3,300 miles southwest of Hawaii in the Mariana Islands, Guam was the scene of intense fighting between Japanese and American forces during the last World War. It was here in July of 1944 that the American recapture of Guam began with simultaneous landings along multiple beaches, followed by intense battles in the hills and jungles of the island.
Now, almost 60 years later, while walking through one of the park's several units, an American General Issue (GI) canteen was noticed--having probably been exposed by heavy rainfall earlier this year. The two visitors properly reported the artifact to National Park Service rangers, who then contacted park museum staff. The canteen is unusual, unlike any in the park museum because it is very intricately and ornately engraved. While the workmanship is truly impressive, it is the content of the engraving that makes it historically significant. On one side the canteen is engraved with “Kali- Sioux/ Reservation/ Kali~Black Hills/ South Dakota.” The opposite side of the canteen is engraved with a few symbols which resemble brands and appear above the inscription “ ‘Smokey’ Dias.”
Since the canteen’s discovery, the museum staff has been actively searching for any and all information related to the canteen. In an effort to learn who “Smokey” Dias was, the most basic research revealed that the name Dias does not appear on a list that recognizes and honors those who were killed, injured, or victims of wartime suffering in Guam during WWII. In addition to using the War in the Pacific’s historical records, internet resources were also employed to gather information.
Initial queries proved that the Sioux, like the Navajo, served in the Pacific, some of them using their unique and complex language to help code and disguise messages of military importance during World War II. These Native American soldiers were crucial and vital factors in the American defeat of Japanese forces in the Pacific theater. Sioux Code Talkers were recognized for their contributions and service by the Seventy-seventh legislature of South Dakota but unfortunately the name “Smokey” Dias is not listed among known Siouz Code Talkers. After realizing that the name Smokey Dias is absent from both Guam and South Dakota commemorative lists, Tammy Duchesne (acting curator for War in the Pacific National Historical Park) contacted regional curator Kent Bush who then enlisted the help of Bob Chenoweth, Curator of Nez Perce National Historical Park, Jim Thomson, Archeologist at Seattle Support Office, Debra Wood, Curator of Northern Cascades, and Marshall Owens, Curator of the USS Arizona Memorial. The dialogue conducted amongst these professionals furthered the park’s outreach efforts and generated some great research suggestions.
For instance, the curators speculated as to whether the symbols could be forms of brands? The South Dakota Brand Board was contacted and shown the symbols via email. While it seemed very likely that the engraved symbols might be copies of brands, the South Dakota Brand Director, Julie Kongslien, responded saying that they had no listing or records of such symbols in their extensive list of over 28,000 brands. Not to be thwarted, research efforts did not cease. Deb Wood, the curator at Northern Cascades National Park and a Native American who speaks one of the Siouan dialects, continued to generously help War in the Pacific National Historical Park’s efforts by contacting family members, the South Dakota American Legion, checking genealogy websites for South Dakota, and checking cemetery records for the southwest part of South Dakota. In addition to National Park Service employees donating their thoughts, ideas, and time, the Cultural Resource Manager for the Navy on Guam, Jennings Bunn, also helped in the investigation process by enlisting the help of a friend who is currently living in South Dakota, June Johnston. Johnston conducted her own research and while nothing has turned up to this point, she made the wonderful suggestion of running the story in the Lakota Journal and the Rapid City Journal. Deb Wood also recommended having the story printed in Indian City Today.
War in the Pacific National Historical Park is searching for information about GI’s from the Sioux Reservation that served in Guam during World War II, and are extremely interested in acquiring information about “Smokey Dias”. The canteen is already providing new information about the lives of those men who fought in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, and the canteen might help develop a new museum exhibit that recognizes the contribution of Native Americans in the War. If anyone has any information about Sioux serving in Guam during World War II, or any information about Smokey Dias, please call War in the Pacific National Historical Park (currently located at US Fish and Wildlife) at (671) 355- 5096, 7 or fax (671) 355- 5098 or (671) 472- 1475. Correspondence can be addressed to Park Superintendent; War in the Pacific National Historical Park; Maintenance Buidling 115 Marine Drive; Piti, Guam 96915. Or, contact the park via Email by addressing: Tammy Duchesne at Tammy_Duchesne@partner.nps.gov, and the superintendent at Eric_Brunnemann@nps.gov. For more information about Guam and War in the Pacific National Historical Park, go to the Internet address: www.nps.gov/wapa.
