[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1055 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.1055
One Hundred Eleventh Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the fifth day of January, two thousand and ten
An Act
To grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th
Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States
Army, 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. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On January 19, 1942, 6 weeks after the December 7, 1941,
attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Navy, the United States Army
discharged all Japanese-Americans in the Reserve Officers Training
Corps and changed their draft status to ``4C''--the status of
``enemy alien'' which is ineligible for the draft.
(2) On January 23, 1942, Japanese-Americans in the military on
the mainland were segregated out of their units.
(3) Further, on May 3, 1942, General John L. DeWitt issued
Civilian Exclusion Order No. 346, ordering all people of Japanese
ancestry, whether citizens or noncitizens, to report to assembly
centers, where they would live until being moved to permanent
relocation centers.
(4) On June 5, 1942, 1,432 predominantly Nisei (second
generation Americans of Japanese ancestry) members of the Hawaii
Provisional Infantry Battalion were shipped from the Hawaiian
Islands to Oakland, CA, where the 100th Infantry Battalion was
activated on June 12, 1942, and then shipped to train at Camp
McCoy, Wisconsin.
(5) The excellent training record of the 100th Infantry
Battalion and petitions from prominent civilian and military
personnel helped convince President Roosevelt and the War
Department to reopen military service to Nisei volunteers who were
incorporated into the 442nd Regimental Combat Team after it was
activated in February of 1943.
(6) In that same month, the 100th Infantry Battalion was
transferred to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, where it continued to
train, and even though the battalion was ready to deploy shortly
thereafter, the battalion was refused by General Eisenhower, due to
concerns over the loyalty and patriotism of the Nisei.
(7) The 442nd Regimental Combat Team later trained with the
100th Infantry Battalion at Camp Shelby in May of 1943.
(8) Eventually, the 100th Infantry Battalion was deployed to
the Mediterranean and entered combat in Italy on September 26,
1943.
(9) Due to their bravery and valor, members of the Battalion
were honored with 6 awards of the Distinguished Service Cross in
the first 8 weeks of combat.
(10) The 100th Battalion fought at Cassino, Italy in January
1944, and later accompanied the 34th Infantry Division to Anzio,
Italy.
(11) The 442nd Regimental Combat Team arrived in Civitavecchia,
Italy on June 7, 1944, and on June 15 of the following week, the
100th Infantry Battalion was formally made an integral part of the
442nd Regimental Combat Team, and fought for the last 11 months of
the war with distinction in Italy, southern France, and Germany.
(12) The battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation
for its actions in battle on June 26-27, 1944.
(13) The 442nd Regimental became the most decorated unit in
United States military history for its size and length of service.
(14) The 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team,
received 7 Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of Honor, 29
Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 4,000 Bronze
Stars, 22 Legion of Merit Medals, 15 Soldier's Medals, and over
4,000 Purple Hearts, among numerous additional distinctions.
(15) The United States remains forever indebted to the bravery,
valor, and dedication to country these men faced while fighting a
2-fronted battle of discrimination at home and fascism abroad.
(16) Their commitment and sacrifice demonstrates a highly
uncommon and commendable sense of patriotism and honor.
(17) The Military Intelligence Service (in this Act referred to
as the ``MIS'') was made up of about 6,000 Japanese American
soldiers who conducted highly classified intelligence operations
that proved to be vital to United States military successes in the
Pacific Theatre.
(18) As they were discharged from the Army, MIS soldiers were
told not to discuss their wartime work, due to its sensitive
nature, and their contributions were not known until passage of the
Freedom of Information Act in 1974.
(19) MIS soldiers were attached individually or in small groups
to United States and Allied combat units, where they intercepted
radio transmissions, translated enemy documents, interrogated enemy
prisoners of war, volunteered for reconnaissance and covert
intelligence missions, and persuaded enemy combatants to surrender.
(20) Their contributions continued during the Allied postwar
occupation of Japan, and MIS linguistic skills and understanding of
Japanese customs were invaluable to occupation forces as they
assisted Japan in a peaceful transition to a new, democratic form
of government.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate
arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold
medal of appropriate design to the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd
Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service, United
States Army, collectively, 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 of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the
Secretary.
(c) Smithsonian Institution.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in honor
of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team,
and the Military Intelligence Service, United States Army, under
subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian
Institution, where it will be displayed as appropriate and made
available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that
the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received
under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, particularly
at other appropriate locations associated with the 100th Infantry
Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military
Intelligence Service, United States Army.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck under section 2, at a price sufficient to cover the costs
of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.
Medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals for purposes
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUNDS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authority To Use Funds.--There is authorized to be charged
against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, an amount not to
exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medal authorized under
section 2.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate
bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the United States
Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.