Chinese American World War II Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act
This bill directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the Chinese American Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.
The medal shall be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution, which is urged to make the medal available for display at other locations associated with such veterans or with World War II.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2358 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2358
To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the Chinese
American Veterans of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated
service during World War II.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 4, 2017
Mr. Royce of California (for himself, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr.
Abraham, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. Chabot, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Mrs.
Radewagen, Mr. Fleischmann, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr.
Grijalva, Mr. Issa, Mr. Kinzinger, Ms. Lee, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Meng,
Mr. Raskin, Mr. Rohrabacher, Ms. Velazquez, Mrs. Wagner, Mrs. Mimi
Walters of California, and Mr. Wilson of South Carolina) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial
Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the Chinese
American Veterans of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated
service during World War II.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Chinese American World War II
Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Chinese Americans served the United States in every
conflict since the Civil War, and distinguished themselves in
World War II, serving in every theater of battle and every
branch of service, earning citations for their heroism and
honorable service, up to and including the Congressional Medal
of Honor.
(2) Chinese nationals and Chinese Americans faced
institutional discrimination in the United States since before
World War II, limiting the size of their population and their
ability to build thriving communities in America.
(3) The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first Federal
law that broadly restricted immigration and a specific
nationality, making it illegal for Chinese laborers to
immigrate to the United States, and limiting the Chinese
population in America for over sixty years.
(4) Major court decisions such as the decisions in Lum v.
Rice and People v. Hall found ``yellow'' races to be equal to
African Americans with regard to ``separate but equal'' school
facilities, and prohibited Chinese Americans, along with
``Black, mulatto, or Indian'' persons, from testifying against
White men.
(5) Chinese Americans were harassed, beaten, and murdered
because of their ethnicity. The worst instances include the
Chinese Massacre of 1871, where 17 Chinese immigrants in Los
Angeles, California, were tortured and murdered; the Rock
Spring Massacre of 1885 where White rioters killed 28 Chinese
miners and burned 75 of their homes in Rock Springs, Wyoming;
and the Hells Canyon Massacre of 1887 where 34 Chinese
goldminers were ambushed and murdered in Hells Canyon, Oregon.
(6) There were only 78,000 Chinese Americans living on the
United States mainland, with 29,000 living in Hawaii, at the
start of World War II as a result of Federal and State
legislation and judicial decisions.
(7) Despite the anti-Chinese discrimination at the time, as
many as 20,000 Chinese Americans served in the U.S. Armed
Forces during World War II. Approximately forty percent (40
percent) of those who served were not United States citizens
due to the laws that denied U.S. citizenship for persons of
Chinese descent.
(8) Chinese Americans, although small in numbers, made
important contributions to the World War II effort.
(9) Of the total Chinese Americans serving, approximately
25 percent served in the U.S. Army Air Force/Corps, with some
sent to the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater with the 14th Air
Service Group.
(10) The remainder served in all branches of the U.S. Armed
Forces in all four theaters of war.
(11) The first all Chinese-American group was the 14th Air
Service Group, 859th Signal Corps in the CBI theater which
enabled extensive and effective operations against the Japanese
military in China.
(12) Chinese Americans are widely acknowledged for their
role in the Army's 14th Air Force, 23rd Fighter Group, widely
known as the Flying Tigers.
(13) The Flying Tigers eventually established American air
superiority in China and supported cargo flights from India to
China over ``The Hump''.
(14) Chinese Americans assigned to the CBI theater made
transoceanic journeys through hostile territories, and were
subject to enemy attack while at sea and in the air.
(15) In the Pacific Theater, Chinese Americans were in
ground, air, and ocean combat and support roles throughout the
Pacific including New Guinea, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Iwo
Jima, Okinawa, Philippines, Marianas, and Aleutian Islands.
(16) Throughout the Pacific and CBI theaters, they
performed vital functions in translating; coordinating National
Chinese and American combat operations; servicing and repairing
aircraft and armaments; training National Chinese troops and
sailors; delivering medical care; providing signal and
communication support; gathering and analyzing intelligence;
participating in ground and air combat; and securing and
delivering supplies.
(17) Chinese Americans also served in combat and support
roles in the European and African theaters, serving in North
Africa, Sicily, Italy, the Normandy D-Day invasion which
liberated Western Europe, and the Battle of the Bulge,
occupying Western Germany while helping to liberate Central
Europe.
(18) Chinese Americans flew bomber missions, served in
infantry units and combat ships in the Battle of the Atlantic,
including aboard Merchant Marines convoys vulnerable to
submarine and air attacks.
(19) Chinese-American women left traditional domestic
duties for patriotic service, serving as translators who
interpreted Japanese documents containing military plans.
(20) Many Chinese-American women served in the Women's Army
Corps (WACs), the Army Air Force, and the United States Naval
Reserve Women's Reserve (WAVES), and some became pilots, air
traffic controllers, flight trainers, weather forecasters,
occupational therapists, and nurses.
(21) Captain Francis B. Wai is the only Chinese American
serving in World War II to have been awarded a Congressional
Medal of Honor, the highest military award given by our Nation.
His posthumous Distinguished Service Medal, awarded in 1944 was
upgraded in 2000 to a Congressional Medal of Honor.
(22) Chinese Americans also earned Combat Infantry Badges,
Purple Hearts, Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Distinguished
Service Medals and Distinguished Flying Medals. Units with
Chinese Americans were also awarded unit citations for valor
and bravery.
(23) The United States remains forever indebted to the
bravery, valor, and dedication that the Chinese American
Veterans of World War II displayed. Their commitment and
sacrifice demonstrates a highly uncommon and commendable sense
of patriotism and honor in the face of discrimination.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act--
(1) the term ``Chinese American Veterans of World II''
includes individuals of Chinese ancestry who served--
(A) honorably at any time during the period
December 7, 1941, and ending December 31, 1946; and
(B) in an active duty status under the command of
the United States Armed Forces; and
(2) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the
Treasury.
SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Award Authorized.--The President pro tempore of the Senate and
the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall make appropriate
arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold
medal of appropriate design to the Chinese American Veterans of World
War II, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to
in subsection (a), the Secretary shall strike the gold medal with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the
Secretary.
(c) Smithsonian Institute.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in
honor of the Chinese American Veterans of World War II, the
gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where
it shall be available for display as appropriate and made
available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received
under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere,
particularly at other locations associated with the Chinese
American Veterans of World II or with World War II.
(d) Duplicate Medals.--Under regulations that the Secretary may
promulgate, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of
the gold medal struck under this Act, at a price sufficient to cover
the cost of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of
machinery, and overhead expenses.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDAL.
(a) National Medal.--The gold medal struck under this Act shall be
a national medal for the purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United
States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31,
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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