[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3017 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3017

                    For the relief of John Mitchell.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 6, 1993

Mr. Bilirakis introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
                    For the relief of John Mitchell.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) The successful interception and destruction on April 8, 
        1943, of a Japanese bomber carrying the architect of the 
        Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Commander in Chief of the 
        Japanese Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, was a 
        mission exemplifying a level of skill, daring, and courage 
        rarely seen in the annals of war.
            (2) The successful interception of the bomber was 
        militarily important because it substantially damaged the 
        Japanese war machine and was comparable in its symbolic 
        significance and odds against success to the surprise bombing 
        raid on Tokyo carried out a year earlier by General Jimmy 
        Doolittle's bombing force launched from the aircraft carrier 
        Hornet.
            (3) The successful mission to intercept the bomber was due 
        in large part to the astute and thorough planning and 
        leadership skills of Colonel John W. Mitchell, then Major 
        Mitchell, commander of the 339th Fighter Squadron based on 
        Guadalcanal in the South Pacific Ocean.
            (4) Major Mitchell planned and executed with split second 
        precision the longest fighter intercept mission ever flown.
            (5) Flying a 5-legged, 400-mile course, low over the waters 
        to avoid detection, west over the Japanese-occupied Solomon 
        Islands, Major Mitchell and his raiders defied unbelievable 
        odds to arrive unseen at the exact location and the precise 
        time to spot the Japanese bombers, with their fighter escort, 
        descending for landing at the Island of Ballalle.
            (6) Climbing to meet the adversaries, Major Mitchell 
        ordered 4 of the ``Lightening'' P-38 fighters to attack the 
        bombers, 1 of which was believed to be carrying Admiral 
        Yamamoto, while Major Mitchell led the remaining fighters to a 
        higher position.
            (7) Within minutes, the bomber later confirmed to be 
        carrying Admiral Yamamoto was in flames on the floor of the 
        Bougainville jungle on the Island of Ballalle, while the 2d 
        bomber, now known to have been carrying Admiral Matome Ugaki, 
        Chief of Staff of the Japanese Imperial Fleet, was downed at 
        sea.
            (8) Following the mission, Admiral Marc Mitsher, then 
        Commander of the United States Naval and Air Forces on 
        Guadalcanal, recommended that Major Mitchell and 4 other pilots 
        involved in the mission receive a medal of honor for their part 
        in eliminating Japan's foremost naval strategist, but the 
        tribute was wrongly denied because of an alleged security 
        compromise for which Major Mitchell was not responsible.

SEC. 2. AWARD OF MEDAL OF HONOR TO JOHN W. MITCHELL.

    Notwithstanding the time limitations of section 3744(b) of title 
10, United States Code, the President shall award a medal of honor to 
John W. Mitchell of San Anselmo, California, in accordance with the 
recommendation of Mr. Mitchell's commanding officer and pursuant to 
section 3741 of such title, for his outstanding service to the United 
States while serving as a major in the Army Air Corps during World War 
II.

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