[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5521 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5521

To authorize the President to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to 
Marcelino Serna for acts of valor as a private in the Army during World 
                                 War I.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 2023

    Ms. Escobar (for herself, Mr. Castro of Texas, and Mr. Vargas) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the President to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to 
Marcelino Serna for acts of valor as a private in the Army during World 
                                 War I.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Military service is one of the most admired and 
        respected vocations any one can embark upon knowing that their 
        commitment is to something far greater than oneself, and we 
        value such military service because it is dedicated to 
        upholding, defending, and preserving the constitution.
            (2) While historically many were drafted into service 
        before the military became an all-volunteer service in 1973, 
        there were still individuals who volunteered to serve without 
        being drafted, and people of all walks of life, including new 
        immigrants, have sought to demonstrate their love, commitment, 
        and loyalty to this country by volunteering their lives to 
        service.
            (3) Private Marcelino Serna was one such immigrant seeking 
        to demonstrate his love, commitment, and loyalty to his 
        country; born in Chihuahua, Mexico, Private Serna is part of a 
        legacy of immigrant soldiers fighting for the United States, 
        eager to pursue the American Dream; in 1917, without 
        hesitation, he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces 
        against Germany at the age of 20.
            (4) Private Serna was placed in the 355th Infantry of the 
        89th Division, and upon his arrival in France, when it was 
        discovered that he was not a U.S. citizen, he was given the 
        option to return home, however, Private Serna made the valiant 
        decision to serve the United States, his adoptive home.
            (5) In recognition of his courageous actions, Private Serna 
        became the most decorated World War I veteran in Texas, with 
        awards from the United States, France, Italy and the United 
        Kingdom, which include: the World War I Victory Medal, two 
        Purple Hearts, the French Medaille Militaire, two French Croix 
        de Guerre, a French Medaille commemorative, the British War 
        Medal, the Italian Croce al Merito di Guerra, the French 
        Verdun, and the St. Mihiel Medals, as well as being 
        posthumously awarded Texas' Lone Star Medal of Valor in 2016.
            (6) The aforementioned awards recognize Private Serna's 
        demonstrated bravery and remarkable service to his country in 
        World War I, during which time, as detailed in the military's 
        official citation for his receipt of the Distinguished Service 
        Cross and in the Texas Handbook Online, Private Serna 
        singlehandedly fought, killed, and captured enemy fighters in 
        the French theater.
            (7) White contemporaries of Private Serna who engaged in 
        similar courageous acts during World War I have been rightfully 
        recognized for their valor with the Medal of Honor; however 
        Private Serna was reportedly passed over for the Medal of Honor 
        because he did not know enough English to be promoted.
            (8) On May 7, 2021, recognizing that acts of valor 
        performed by minority service members like Private Serna have 
        gone unrecognized, a bipartisan Texas State House and Senate 
        Committee voted to unanimously award Private Serna the Texas 
        Legislative Medal of Honor.
            (9) For his conspicuous gallantry, unwavering commitment, 
        and heroic actions above and beyond the call of duty to the 
        United States of America, Private Marcelino Serna has long 
        earned the Medal of Honor, an award that would allow his 
        descendants, fellow Texans, and Americans everywhere to 
        recognize his heroic deeds.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR TO MARCELINO 
              SERNA FOR ACTS OF VALOR DURING WORLD WAR I.

    (a) Authorization.--Notwithstanding the time limitations specified 
in section 7274 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 Armed Forces, the President may posthumously award 
the Medal of Honor under section 7272 of such title to Marcelino Serna 
for the acts of valor described in the subsection (b).
    (b) Acts of Valor Described.--The acts of valor described in this 
subsection are the actions of Marcelino Serna as a private in the Army 
during World War I, for which he was previously awarded the 
Distinguished-Service Cross.
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