[Annotator's Note: The interview begins with Clarence Wolf Guts already in conversation with the interviewer]. After Wolf Guts finished basic training, he was supposed to go to tactical training, and he was put in Ranger [Annotator's Note: US Army Rangers] training, which he did all the way up until he had one more day until graduation. Then he was ordered to urgently report elsewhere. He thought he was in trouble but was told General Paul J. Mueller [Annotator's Note: Major General Paul John Mueller] wanted to talk to him. He was told to go back to camp and prepare his things. He arrived, and was announced as Clarence, which was odd since high-ranking officers do not call enlisted men by their first names. The General told him he liked his spunk and asked if he was Indian [Annotator's Note: Native American], to which he responded that he was 100 percent Lakota [Annotator's Note: a Native American people also known as the Teton Sioux]. Mueller told Wolf Guts that he wanted him to learn how to operate a radio and was assigned to a Signal Company. He was given a carryall with a 293 radio [Annotator's Note: SCR-293, Signal Corps Radio, or Set, Complete, Radio 293 radar system] inside, which he learned how to operate. Mueller asked who else spoke Indian [Annotator's Note: Lakota], to which Wolf Guts responded four. There were actually eleven, but not all knew the language. He recruited Iver Crow Eagle [Annotator's Note: Iver Crow Eagle, Senior], Roy Bad Hand [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling], and Benny White Bear [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling]. Wolf Guts was told he would be the boss, which was a tall order. There are no curse words in the language. Once overseas, the Japanese were listening to them all the time which is why they used code so that only the four of them knew what they were talking about. The Japanese were smart, so they needed to be smarter. They were called code talkers [Annotator's Note: person employed by the military to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication]. They would burn messages afterwards so nobody else could read it. Wolf Guts operated the radio for the General, and another man for the Chief of Staff, a full colonel. Whatever they did was secret. Wolf Guts was schooled [Annotator's Note: before entering the service] at Saint Francis Mission [Annotator's Note: on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Saint Francis, South Dakota] but did not graduate. He enlisted with one year left before graduation. The General told him he was smart, intelligent, and that he was somebody. In Lakota culture, they respect everyone, especially women. He encountered high-ranking Japanese officers overseas who said they would impregnate American women to create a super race. Wolf Guts had eight bullets in his rifle and used every one pf them. He was mad hearing them say that because he respected and loved all women and would give everything. He had to stop the enemy from going to the United States and destroying that way of life.

While overseas, Clarence Wolf Guts [Annotator's Note: a code-talker – a person employed by the military to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication – with the 81st Infantry Division] sometimes wanted a cup of coffee but they were very far from the kitchen. All they had was a canteen of chlorinated water and synthetic orange juice. They suffered, but it was just a pittance compared to how Jesus [Annotator's Note: Jesus Christ; person who Christians believe is the son of God] suffered. He often wonders why he is living so long, when all of his buddies are dead and gone. He was only 18 when he went into the service, and since then has learned a lot and respects everyone. He keeps a peace pipe in his bag. He is Sioux, and Lakota. There are three dialects in South Dakota which are Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota. He is from Rosebud, called the Burnt Thigh [Annotator's Note: the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Saint Francis, South Dakota]. His father was of the Pine Ridge Oglala tribe. Wolf Guts enlisted in June 1942 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and trained at Fort Rucker, Alabama. He completed 13 weeks of basic training, tactical training, and had begun Ranger [Annotator's Note: US Army Ranger] training when he was summoned by Mueller [Annotator's Note: Major General Paul John Mueller] . When they returned home after the war, people wanted to honor them. They had just done what they could. Wolf Guts made up the words and code they used but does not see himself as a boss. When he was younger, he was not afraid of anything. When Iver [Annotator's Note: Iver Crow Eagle, Senior] was alive, he suggested they write a book about their wartime experiences. Wolf Guts recuperated in hospital for a full year due to a case of malaria.

Clarence Wolf Guts [Annotator's Note: a code-talker – a person employed by the military to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication – with the 81st Infantry Division] traveled to Washington [Annotator's Note: Washington, D.C.] twice. He wanted to protect everyone, country, God, and flag. He did that and is glad that he did. He recently quit drinking. He completed jungle training in Hawaii, then went on to Palau where he first experienced enemy fire. He was supposed to be on the flagship operating the radio, while his friends were going ashore. It was a hailstorm of bullets, shrapnel whizzing by. War is hell. He just hoped to make it home to the United States and would do a dance if they made it home. He also stopped in Guam [Annotator's Note: Guam, Mariana Islands] and Leyte [Annotator's Note: Leyte, Philippines. He spent four months in Japan before coming back once he had enough points [Annotator's Note: a point system was devised based on a number of factors that determined when American servicemen serving overseas could return home]. He is sorry for what he did, but they had to in order to survive. He did a lot of shooting. He does not like to talk about it anymore. They helped win the war and came back. They fought for freedom.

Clarence Wolf Guts [Annotator's Note: a code-talker – a person employed by the military to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication – with the 81st Infantry Division] had friends in a signal company who would ask how he was doing, to which he would say "I am Lakota Annotator's Note: a Native American people also known as the Teton Sioux], I am alright." Some people thought he must be Wakan, a holy man, but he was not. He is just himself.