    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Public Law 111-254
    111th Congress

    An Act

    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. <>

    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.
    (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.

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    (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

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    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.

    Approved October 5, 2010.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 1055 (H.R. 347):
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    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 156 (2010):
    Aug. 2, considered and passed Senate.
    Sept. 23, considered and passed House.