[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1209 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1209

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the 
``Doolittle Tokyo Raiders'', for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and 
   service to the United States in conducting the bombings of Tokyo.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 15, 2013

  Mr. Olson (for himself, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Griffin of Arkansas, Mr. 
 Turner, Mr. Nunnelee, Mr. Bridenstine, Mr. Sam Johnson of Texas, and 
 Mr. Stivers) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the 
``Doolittle Tokyo Raiders'', for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and 
   service to the United States in conducting the bombings of Tokyo.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) on April 18, 1942, the brave men of the 17th 
        Bombardment Group (Medium) became known as the ``Doolittle 
        Tokyo Raiders'' for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and 
        service to the United States in conducting the bombings of 
        Tokyo;
            (2) 80 brave American aircraft crewmen, led by Lieutenant 
        Colonel James Doolittle, volunteered for an ``extremely 
        hazardous mission'', without knowing the target, location, or 
        assignment, and willingly put their lives in harm's way, 
        risking death, capture, and torture;
            (3) the conduct of medium bomber operations from a Navy 
        aircraft carrier under combat conditions had never before been 
        attempted;
            (4) after the discovery of the USS Hornet by Japanese 
        picket ships 170 miles further away from the prearranged launch 
        point, the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders proceeded to take off 670 
        miles from the coast of Japan;
            (5) by launching more than 100 miles beyond the distance 
        considered to be minimally safe for the mission, the Doolittle 
        Tokyo Raiders deliberately accepted the risk that the B-25s 
        might not have enough fuel to reach the designated air-fields 
        in China on return;
            (6) the additional launch distance greatly increased the 
        risk of crash landing in Japanese occupied China, exposing the 
        crews to higher probability of death, injury, or capture;
            (7) because of that deliberate choice, after bombing their 
        targets in Japan, low on fuel and in setting night and 
        deteriorating weather, none of the 16 airplanes reached the 
        prearranged Chinese airfields;
            (8) of the 80 Doolittle Tokyo Raiders who launched on the 
        raid, 8 were captured, 2 died in the crash, and 70 returned to 
        the United States;
            (9) of the 8 captured Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, 3 were 
        executed and 1 died of disease; and
            (10) there were only 5 surviving members of the Doolittle 
        Tokyo Raiders as of February 2013.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Award.--
            (1) Authorized.--The President pro tempore of the Senate 
        and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall make 
        appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, 
        of a single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the 
        World War II members of the 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) who 
        became known as the ``Doolittle Tokyo Raiders'', in recognition 
        of their military service during World War II.
            (2) Design and striking.--For the purposes of the award 
        referred to in paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Treasury 
        shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 
        inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
            (3) National museum of the united states air force.--
                    (A) In general.--Following the award of the gold 
                medal referred to in paragraph (1) in honor of the 
                World War II members of the 17th Bombardment Group 
                (Medium), who became known as the ``Doolittle Tokyo 
                Raiders'', the gold medal shall be given to the 
                National Museum of the United States Air Force, where 
                it shall be available for display with the Doolittle 
                Tokyo Raiders Goblets, as appropriate, and made 
                available for research.
                    (B) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress 
                that the National Museum of the United States Air Force 
                should make the gold medal received under this Act 
                available for display elsewhere, particularly at other 
                locations and events associated with the Doolittle 
                Tokyo Raiders.
    (b) Duplicate Medals.--Under such regulations as the Secretary may 
prescribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
the gold medal struck under this Act, at a price sufficient to cover 
the costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of 
machinery, and overhead expenses.
    (c) National Medals.--Medals struck pursuant to this Act are 
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 
Code.
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