[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1055 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1055
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
(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.
Passed the Senate August 2, 2010.
Attest:
Secretary.
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1055
_______________________________________________________________________
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.