[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 967 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  1st Session
                                 S. 967

 To provide a fair and full opportunity for recognizing with awards of 
 military decorations the meritorious and valorous acts, achievements, 
  and service performed by members of the Army in the Ia Drang Valley 
                 (Pleiku) campaign in Vietnam in 1965.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                June 26 (legislative day, June 19), 1995

Mr. Lott (for himself, Mr. Smith, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Helms, 
 Mr. Hollings, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Faircloth, Mr. Dole, 
Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Warner, and Mr. McCain) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide a fair and full opportunity for recognizing with awards of 
 military decorations the meritorious and valorous acts, achievements, 
  and service performed by members of the Army in the Ia Drang Valley 
                 (Pleiku) campaign in Vietnam in 1965.
    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign, carried out by 
        the Armed Forces of the United States in the Ia Drang Valley of 
        Vietnam from October 23, 1965, to November 26, 1965, pitted 
        forces of the United States Army against North Vietnamese Army 
        regulars in vicious battles in which many United States 
        soldiers displayed extraordinary heroism, sacrifice, and 
        bravery which has not yet been officially recognized through 
        award of appropriate decorations.
            (2) One of those battles, a running 4-day battle fought 
        from November 14 to November 18, 1965, encompassed the first 
        battalion-sized Army engagement with North Vietnamese Army 
        regulars.
            (3) The soldiers of the United States Army units engaged in 
        the battle encountered and fought valiantly against an 
        overwhelming force of more than 2,000 North Vietnamese Army 
        regulars for an extended period under notably difficult 
        conditions.
            (4) Historical literature published in the early 1990s 
        authoritatively documents repeated acts of extraordinary 
        heroism, sacrifice, and bravery on the part of many of the 
        United States Army soldiers who were engaged in the battles of 
        the Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign, many of whom have never 
        been officially recognized for those acts.
            (5) United States Army units involved in combat in the Ia 
        Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign suffered substantial losses, 
        including casualties in excess of 90 percent of strength in the 
        case of some companies.
            (6) The incidence of heavy casualties throughout the 
        campaign has inhibited the timely collection of comprehensive 
        and detailed information to support recommendations for awards 
        for the acts of heroism, sacrifice, and bravery performed in 
        the Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign engagements.
            (7) Requests to the Secretary of the Army for review of 
        award recommendations for those acts have been denied because 
        of restrictions in law and Army regulations that relate to 
        timely filing of recommendations and requirements for 
        documented justification.
            (8) Acts of heroism, sacrifice, and bravery performed in 
        combat by members of the Armed Forces of the United States 
        deserve appropriate and timely recognition by the people of the 
        United States.
            (9) It is inappropriate for United States policy to 
        restrict recognition of military personnel for acts of 
        extraordinary heroism, sacrifice, or bravery that are 
        belatedly, but properly, documented by persons who witnessed 
        those acts.

SEC. 2. IA DRANG VALLEY (PLEIKU) CAMPAIGN DEFINED.

    For the purposes of this Act, the Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign 
is the campaign of military operations carried out by the Armed Forces 
of the United States in the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam during the 
period beginning on October 23, 1965, and ending on November 26, 1965, 
and includes the activities of Army units and Army personnel in 
providing direct support in or for such operations during that period.

SEC. 3. WAIVER OF RESTRICTIONS.

    (a) Award Authorized.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the Army may award a 
decoration to any person for an act, an achievement, or service that 
the person performed in the Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign while 
serving on active duty in the Army.
    (b) Decorations Covered.--Subsection (a) applies to any decoration 
(including any device in lieu of a decoration) that, during or after 
the period of the Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign and before the date 
of the enactment of this Act, was authorized by Congress or under 
regulations of the Department of Defense or the Department of the Army 
to be awarded to a person for an act, an achievement, or service 
performed by that person while serving on active duty in the Army.
    (c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``active duty'' has the 
meaning given such term in section 101(d)(1) of title 10, United States 
Code.

SEC. 4. REVIEW OF AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS.

    (a) Review Required.--The Secretary of the Army shall review all 
recommendations for awards for acts, achievements, or service described 
in section 3(a) that have been received by the Secretary before the end 
of the period of the review, including recommendations received before 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Period of Review.--The Secretary shall begin the review within 
30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and shall complete 
the review within one year after such date.
    (c) Process.--The Secretary may use the same process for carrying 
out the review as the Secretary uses for reviewing other 
recommendations for awarding decorations to members of the Army for 
acts, achievements, or service.
    (d) Report to Congress.--(1) Upon completing the review, the 
Secretary shall submit a report on the review to the Committee on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the Committee on National Security of the 
House of Representatives.
    (2) The report shall contain the following information on each 
recommendation for award reviewed:
            (A) A summary of the recommendation.
            (B) The findings resulting from the review.
            (C) The final action taken on the recommendation.
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