[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 165 (Tuesday, November 19, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8289-S8290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            DOOLITTLE TOKYO RAIDERS CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

  Mr. DONNELLY. I ask unanimous consent the Banking, Housing and Urban 
Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 381 
and the Senate proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 381) 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. DONNELLY. I ask unanimous consent the Brown amendment, which is 
at the desk, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read three times 
and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with 
no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2344) was agreed to.
  (The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text 
of Amendments.'')
  The bill (S. 381), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 381

       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,

[[Page S8290]]

     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.

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