[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2674 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2674

To waive time limitations specified by law in order to allow the Medal 
    of Honor to be awarded posthumously to Richard L. Etchberger of 
 Hamburg, Pennsylvania, for acts of valor on March 11, 1968, while an 
 Air Force Chief Master Sergeant serving in Southeast Asia during the 
                              Vietnam era.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 26, 2005

Mr. Holden (for himself and Mr. Pomeroy) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To waive time limitations specified by law in order to allow the Medal 
    of Honor to be awarded posthumously to Richard L. Etchberger of 
 Hamburg, Pennsylvania, for acts of valor on March 11, 1968, while an 
 Air Force Chief Master Sergeant serving in Southeast Asia during the 
                              Vietnam era.

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

SECTION 1. AUTHORITY FOR AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR TO RICHARD L. 
              ETCHBERGER, FOR ACTS OF VALOR DURING VIETNAM ERA.

    (a) Waiver of Time Limitations.--Notwithstanding the time 
limitations specified in section 8744(b) of title 10, United States 
Code, or any other time limitation with respect to the awarding of 
certain medals to persons who served in the Air Force, the President 
may award the Medal of Honor posthumously under section 8741 of that 
title to Richard L. Etchberger, of Hamburg, Pennsylvania, for the acts 
of valor described in subsection (b).
    (b) Action Described.--The acts of valor referred to in subsection 
(a) are the actions of Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. 
Etchberger, on March 11, 1968, while on a secret mission manning a 
radar station in Laos in fighting off attackers armed with M-16s and 
then, while under enemy fire, loading three wounded colleagues into a 
helicopter hoist, in action then resulting in his own death from 
hostile fire when finally himself being hoisted by helicopter.
                                 <all>