[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 115 (Monday, August 2, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6593-S6594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 GRANTING THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Banking 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1055 and the 
Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1055) 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.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded 
to consider the bill.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a Boxer 
amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be 
read a third time and passed; the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, with no intervening action or debate and that any statements be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 4581) was agreed to, as follows:

(Purpose: To include members of the Military Intelligence Service, and 
                          for other purposes)

       On page 4, after line 24, insert the following:
       (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.
       On page 5, line 6, strike ``and'' and insert a comma.
       On page 5, line 7, insert ``and the Military Intelligence 
     Service,'' before ``United States''.
       On page 5, line 19, strike ``and'' and insert a comma.
       On page 5, line 19, insert ``and the Military Intelligence 
     Service,'' before ``United''.
       On page 6, line 3, strike ``and'' and insert a comma.
       On page 6, line 4, insert ``and the Military Intelligence 
     Service,'' before ``United States''.
       On page 6, line 6, strike ``Under'' and all that follows 
     through ``Secretary'' on line 7 and insert ``The Secretary''.
       On page 6, strike lines 15 through 17 and insert the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUNDS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       ``(a) Authority to Use Funds.--There is''.

  The bill (S. 1055), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1055

       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.

[[Page S6594]]

       (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.

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