[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 26 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1474-S1475]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 URGING THE PRESIDENT TO ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS OF A REVIEW OF CASES OF 
      GALLANTRY AND HEROISM BY BLACK AMERICANS DURING WORLD WAR II

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 230, submitted 
earlier today by Senator Inhofe, for himself and Senator Carol Moseley-
Braun.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 230) to urge the President to 
     announce at the earliest opportunity the results of the 
     Senior Army Decorations Board which reviewed certain cases of 
     gallantry and heroism by black Americans during World War II.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the consideration of the 
resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to the consideration 
of the resolution.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator 
from Virginia [Mr. Warner] be added as a cosponsor of S. Res. 230.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to 
the resolution appear at the appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  So the resolution (S. Res. 230) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:

                              S. Res. 230

       Whereas black Americans served in the Armed Forces during 
     World War II with heroism and distinction, often giving their 
     lives to ensure United States victory in that war;
       Whereas prevailing attitudes in the Armed Forces at that 
     time often prevented appropriate recognition of the 
     distinguished service of black Americans, particularly 
     service meriting the award of the medal of honor;
       Whereas in May 1993, the Secretary of the Army convened a 
     study to review the processes and procedures used by the 
     Department of the Army in awarding medals during World War II 
     in order to determine whether racial bias and procedural 
     violations resulted in medals not being awarded to black 
     American members of the Army for their acts of distinguished 
     or heroic service in that war;
       Whereas the study recommended the review of the 
     distinguished acts of 10 black 

[[Page S1475]]
     American members of the Army in World War II in order to determine 
     whether to recommend that the medal of honor be awarded to 
     such members for such acts;
       Whereas pursuant to subsection (d) of section 3744 of title 
     10, United States Code, the President may award a medal of 
     honor to a person qualified for the medal, notwithstanding 
     that the time for awarding the medal has otherwise expired 
     under such section;
       Whereas the award of the medal of honor to black Americans 
     recommended by the Senior Army Decorations Board would 
     reverse a past injustice; and
       Whereas many family members, colleagues, and comrades of 
     such black Americans, and a grateful Nation, have sought for 
     more than 50 years proper and appropriate recognition for the 
     distinguished actions of such black Americans: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the Secretary of the Army for convening a 
     study to review the processes and procedures used by the 
     Department of the Army in awarding medals for service in 
     World War II in order to determine whether racial bias and 
     procedural violations resulted in medals not being awarded to 
     black American members of the Army for their acts of 
     distinguished or heroic service in that war;
       (2) commends the Senior Army Decorations Board for 
     convening to review cases pertaining to certain black 
     American members of the Army for their acts of conspicuous 
     gallantry in that war; and
       (3) urges the President, pursuant to section 3744(d) of 
     title 10, United States Code, to endorse the recommendations 
     of the Senior Army Decorations Board and bring to a close the 
     long struggle for appropriate recognition of our heroic black 
     American patriots.

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