[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1372 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1372
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to all United States nationals who
voluntarily joined the Canadian and British Armed Forces and their
supporting entities during World War II, in recognition of their
dedicated service.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 3, 2023
Ms. Spanberger (for herself, Mr. Kelly of Mississippi, Ms. Kaptur, and
Mr. Cohen) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on
House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to all United States nationals who
voluntarily joined the Canadian and British Armed Forces and their
supporting entities during World War II, in recognition of their
dedicated service.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``American Patriots of WWII through
Service with the Canadian and British Armed Forces Gold Medal Act of
2023''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Americans from across the country served in defense of
democracy and freedom during World War II (WWII) by
volunteering for service with the Canadian and British
militaries and other associated organizations that were
fighting Nazi and Fascist aggression. Many United States
citizens perceived the importance of this war and the severe
impact Nazism and Fascism could have on the American way of
life. Therefore, prior to the United States entry into the
conflict and indeed throughout WWII these patriots
independently crossed the border into Canada and entered
Canadian and British Armed Forces recruiting offices or sought
out representatives based in major United States municipalities
and elsewhere.
(2) When the ``United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland'' and the ``British Commonwealth of Nations'' were
drawn into WWII after Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the
Canadian and British Air Forces made a concerted effort to
recruit Americans.
(3) It is documented that thousands of Americans joined the
Canadian and British Armed Forces, a large percentage joining
the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) alone. In a 1942 film Air
Marshal William Avery ``Billy'' Bishop, an organizer and
promoter of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP)
and Director of the Royal Canadian Air Force, recognized the
``gallant lads from the United States who have come up here to
help and serve with us''. Notably, many Americans were also
recruited and processed through Canada before being assigned to
or detached for the purpose of Royal Air Force (RAF) service.
(4) General of the Army, Army of the United States, Dwight
D. Eisenhower, the former Supreme Allied Commander of the
Allied Expeditionary Force, referenced, in a speech on January
10, 1946, the ``some twelve thousand American citizens'' who
crossed into Canada with the goal of entering the Canadian
Armed Forces. Although the precise numbers of Americans who
were in Canadian and British service are unknown, media
accounts published by Allied journalists during the conflict
nonetheless detail their legacies of volunteerism, personal
sacrifice, and bravery.
(5) Americans also joined the Canadian Aviation Bureau, and
the Home Guard, Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), and Royal Air
Force Ferry Command/Transport Command in Britain. The existence
of these ancillaries enabled patriotic citizens, who were, at
least initially, unable to join a branch of the United States
military due to gender, age, race, health, the lack of
sufficient college education, or other reasons, to support the
war effort. Those who contributed via these alternative
concerns were no less essential to attaining victory.
(6) The infusion of Americans into Canada helped to reduce
shortages of civilian and military pilots in the BCATP, and
President Franklin Roosevelt paid tribute to both Canada and
the program in a wartime letter to Canadian Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King. Within the correspondence
President Roosevelt used the phrase ``the Aerodrome of
Democracy''.
(7) As members of the Canadian and British militaries, the
American volunteers served in many capacities. Extant military
rolls and individual service records document, and thereby
testify to, their contributions.
(8) A sizable number of Americans lost their lives or were
wounded while serving in the RCAF and RAF. The Canadian Army,
British Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Navy also incurred
American personnel casualties. Those who perished and the
survivors demonstrated the exceptional courage that has been
repeatedly displayed in the defense of freedom throughout
American history.
(9) A unique and highly publicized group of Americans, who
were members of the RCAF and RAF, were posted to the famous RAF
Eagle Squadrons and thereby showcased the important roles
American volunteers were undertaking. British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill, whose mother was American, played an
important role in originally promoting the concept of the Eagle
Squadrons to the Air Ministry.
(10) The early successes of female ferry aircrews paved the
way for the formation in the United States of the Women
Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in 1943. The exceptional legacy
of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, ATA, etc., provided
essential support and paved the way for future generations of
military women.
(11) A substantial portion of the Americans serving in
Canadian and British aerial forces transferred to the United
States Army Air Forces between 1942 and 1944, while others
elected to enter other branches of the United States Military.
(12) The practical experience these veterans of Canadian
and British service possessed provided the inexperienced
American Forces with an immediate degree of competence and
effectiveness. More than a few became accomplished combat
pilots, the American Fighter Aces Association possessing many
of them within the organization's core membership.
(13) The bravery and foresight displayed by the Americans
who enlisted in the Canadian and British Armed Forces represent
a largely unrecognized story of valor, and their initiatives
are worthy of official recognition.
(14) The United States Nationals who volunteered for
service with military-associated Canadian and British ancillary
entities are to be equally recognized for their volunteerism,
contributions, and sacrifices.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Award 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 a single gold
medal of appropriate design to all United States nationals who
voluntarily joined the Canadian and British Armed Forces and their
supporting entities during World War II, in recognition of their
dedicated service.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this
Act 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
under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the
Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for display
as appropriate and made available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received
under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere.
(d) Duplicate Medals.--Under regulations that the Secretary may
promulgate, 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, dies, use of
machinery, and overhead expenses.
SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--Medals struck under this Act are national
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31,
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
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