[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5639 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5639

To authorize the payment of a gratuity to certain members of the Armed 
Forces who served at Bataan and Corregidor during World War II, or the 
       surviving spouses of such members, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 4, 2000

  Mr. Minge introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the payment of a gratuity to certain members of the Armed 
Forces who served at Bataan and Corregidor during World War II, or the 
       surviving spouses of such members, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO PAY GRATUITY TO CERTAIN VETERANS OF BATAAN AND 
              CORREGIDOR.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) From December 1941 to April 1942, members of the Armed 
        Forces fought valiantly against overwhelming Japanese military 
        forces on the Bataan peninsula in the Philippines, thereby 
        preventing Japan from accomplishing strategic objectives 
        necessary for early military victory in the Pacific during 
        World War II.
            (2) After receiving orders to surrender on April 9, 1942, 
        many such members were taken prisoner of war by Japan and 
        forced to march 85 miles from the Bataan peninsula to a 
        prisoner of war camp at former Camp O'Donnell. That march 
        resulted in more than 10,000 deaths by reason of starvation, 
        disease, and executions.
            (3) In June 1942, the United States personnel at former 
        Camp O'Donnell were joined with members of the Armed Forces who 
        had been captured at Corregidor in the Philippines and 
        transferred to the Cabanatuan prisoner of war camp where many 
        were held through the remainder of World War II.
            (4) In autumn 1944, Japanese authorities ordered more than 
        1,600 United States personnel who were prisoners of war at the 
        Cabanatuan camp to provide slave labor in support of the war 
        effort in Japan.
            (5) Many of the United States personnel who were prisoners 
        of war were transferred to Japan on unmarked vessels, some of 
        which were attacked and sunk by United States military 
        aircraft.
            (6) Units of the Armed Forces which served at Bataan have 
        received numerous citations, including 3 Presidential Unit 
        Citations and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for 
        heroism, but reparations to individual members of the Armed 
        Forces who were taken prisoner of war at Bataan were limited by 
        a treaty governing the postwar reparations for which the 
        Government of Japan was liable.
            (7) The amount of reparations paid to members of the Armed 
        Forces held as prisoner of war by Japan during World War II 
        were based on time served as prisoner of war, but did not take 
        into account slave labor performed while prisoner of war.
            (8) The Government of Japan has concluded through judicial 
        proceedings that liability for compensation payments expired in 
        1952.
            (9) The Government of Canada authorized the payment of 
        compensation to veterans of the armed forces of Canada who 
        performed slave labor during World War II but were not paid 
        compensation for the performance of such labor after the war.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to recognize the 
heroic contributions of the members of the Armed Forces who served in 
the Philippines at Bataan and Corregidor during World War II, were 
required to perform slave labor by the Government of Japan to support 
the war effort of Japan during that war, and have not been fully 
compensated for their contributions to and sacrifices for United States 
victory in that war.
    (c) Payment of Gratuity Authorized.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs may pay a gratuity to a covered veteran, or to the surviving 
spouse of a covered veteran, in the amount of $20,000.
    (d) Covered Veteran Defined.--For purposes of this section, the 
term ``covered veteran'' means any veteran of the Armed Forces who--
            (1) served at Bataan or Corregidor in the Philippines 
        during World War II;
            (2) was captured and held as a prisoner of war by Japan as 
        a result of such service; and
            (3) was required by Japan to perform slave labor in Japan 
        during World War II.
    (e) Relationship to Other Payments.--Any amount paid a person under 
this section for activity described in subsection (d) is in addition to 
any other amount paid such person for such activity under any other 
provision of law.
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