[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 381 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 381

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
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) Presentation 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 6 
gold medals 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.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall strike the gold 
medals with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be 
determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Following Award of Medals.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medals 
        referred to in subsection (a), 5 of the gold medals shall be 
        given to the 5 surviving members of the mission as of February 
        2013 or their next of kin, with a sixth medal to be given to 
        the National Museum of the United States Air Force, where it 
        shall be displayed with the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Goblets, as 
        appropriate, and made available for research.
            (2) 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 paragraph (1) available for 
        display elsewhere, particularly at other locations and events 
        associated with the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATIVE 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, dyes, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--Medals struck pursuant to this Act are 
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 
Code.
    (b) Numismatic Medals.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act are 
numismatic items.

            Passed the Senate November 19, 2013.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
113th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 381

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

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.