What This Bill Does
This bill authorizes Congress to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr., in recognition of his service to the United States. The bill instructs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the medal's presentation to him.
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Who It Affects
Everett Alvarez, Jr., the Medal recipient
The Secretary of the Treasury, who will create and strike the medal
The United States Mint, which will produce the medals
Anyone who purchases duplicate bronze medals
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Key Provisions
- The Speaker of the House and President pro tempore of the Senate must arrange for the presentation of a gold medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr. (Sec. 3(a))
- The Secretary of the Treasury shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, which will bear Alvarez's image and name (Sec. 3(b))
- The Secretary may strike and sell duplicate bronze medals at a price that covers all production costs (Sec. 4)
- All medals struck under this act are considered national medals and numismatic items (a collectible coin or medal) under federal law (Sec. 5)
- Costs for creating the medals may be charged to the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund (Sec. 6(a))
- Money from selling duplicate bronze medals goes back into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund (Sec. 6(b))
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What Changes
Everett Alvarez, Jr. will receive a Congressional Gold Medal. The government will create this gold medal and may produce bronze copies to sell to the public. Money from those bronze medal sales will go into the Mint's fund.
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Important Definitions
- Numismatic items: Coins or medals intended to be collectible rather than used as currency
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 633
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr., in recognition
of his service to the United States.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 2, 2023
Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Ms. LUMMIS) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Hous-
ing, and Urban Affairs
A BILL
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez,
Jr., in recognition of his service to the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Everett Alvarez, Jr.
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Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
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Congress finds the following:
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(1) Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr. (referred
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to in this section as ‘‘CDR Alvarez’’), served with
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distinction in the Vietnam War and made historic
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sacrifices for the United States as—
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(A) the first United States pilot to be shot
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down and captured during the Vietnam War;
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and
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(B) the second-longest-held prisoner of war
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in the history of the United States, surviving
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more than 81⁄2 years in captivity.
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(2) CDR Alvarez was born in Salinas, Cali-
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fornia, in 1937 and was the grandchild of Mexican
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immigrants.
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(3) CDR Alvarez attended Salinas Union High
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School and Hartnell College and received a bachelor
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of science degree from Santa Clara University.
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(4) In 1960, CDR Alvarez joined the Navy and
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was commissioned as Ensign.
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(5) After receiving his commission, CDR Alva-
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rez attended flight training at the Naval Air Train-
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ing Command in Pensacola, Florida.
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(6) In June 1961, CDR Alvarez was trans-
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ferred to the Naval Auxiliary Air Station in
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Kingsville, Texas, where he trained until December
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1961.
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(7) CDR Alvarez was promoted to Lieutenant
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Junior Grade in April 1962.
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(8) In June 1962, CDR Alvarez joined Attack
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Squadron 144, nicknamed the ‘‘Roadrunners’’,
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which was deployed to the Gulf of Tonkin before the
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United States entered the Vietnam War in August
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1964.
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(9) On August 5, 1964, while flying Operation
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Pierce Arrow from the USS Constellation near the
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Vietnam-China border, CDR Alvarez’s A–4 Skyhawk
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was shot down, and he was captured by a Viet-
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namese fishing vessel.
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(10) Upon capture, CDR Alvarez was taken to
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the Ho`a Lo` Prison in Hanoi, known to many former
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prisoners as the ‘‘Hanoi Hilton’’.
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(11) CDR Alvarez spent his first 13 months, 8
14
days, and 5 hours in isolation.
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(12) While at Ho`a Lo`, CDR Alvarez was re-
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peatedly beaten and tortured, was fed inedible
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meals, and suffered malnourishment.
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(13) In September 1965, CDR Alvarez was
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moved to the ‘‘Briarpatch’’, a prison camp west of
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Hanoi that had no electricity or running water.
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(14) Despite torture and interrogation, CDR
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Alvarez remained loyal to the United States and as-
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sisted other American prisoners of war.
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(15) CDR Alvarez, through his own actions, en-
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couraged and inspired fellow prisoners of war to ‘‘re-
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turn with honor’’, which meant keeping their integ-
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rity in the face of torture and not cooperating with
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or divulging information to the enemy, so that they
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could return home having remained loyal to the
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United States.
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(16) At great risk, CDR Alvarez helped spread
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the means of communication among fellow prisoners
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of war, including the tap code and the mute hand
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code, to keep up spirits and stay organized.
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(17) On July 6, 1966, CDR Alvarez and 51
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other American prisoners of war were forced to
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march in the ‘‘Hanoi Parade’’ where he was abused
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and attacked by mobs.
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(18) CDR Alvarez was released on February
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12, 1973, after spending 3,113 days, or 8 years and
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6 months, in captivity.
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(19) Following his release and hospitalization,
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CDR Alvarez resumed his service in the Navy, re-
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turning to Naval Air Station Kingsville for refresher
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flight training.
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(20) CDR Alvarez—
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(A) attended the Naval Postgraduate
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School in Monterey, California, and received a
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master’s degree in operations research and sys-
1
tems analysis in 1976; and
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(B) was inducted into the Alumni Hall of
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Fame of the Naval Postgraduate School on
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March 27, 2015.
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(21) CDR Alvarez served in Program Manage-
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ment at the Naval Air Systems command in Wash-
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ington, DC, from October 1976 until his retirement.
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(22) CDR Alvarez retired from the Navy on
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June 30, 1980, after a 20-year career in the Navy.
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(23) In April 1981, President Ronald Reagan
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appointed CDR Alvarez as Deputy Director of the
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Peace Corps, where he served until 1982.
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(24) In July 1982, President Reagan nomi-
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nated CDR Alvarez to be Deputy Administrator of
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the Veterans Administration, now known as the De-
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partment of Veterans Affairs, where he served until
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1986.
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(25) CDR Alvarez earned his juris doctor from
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the George Washington University Law School in
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1983 and has been admitted to the District of Co-
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lumbia bar.
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(26) In February 1987, President Reagan ap-
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pointed CDR Alvarez to the Board of Regents of the
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Uniformed Services University of the Health
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Sciences, where he served for nearly 21 years.
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(27) For his service, CDR Alvarez was awarded
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the Silver Star Medal, 2 Legions of Merit, the Dis-
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tinguished Flying Cross, 2 Bronze Star Medals, 2
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Purple Hearts, and the Prisoner of War Medal.
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(28) On September 18, 2012, the United States
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Navy Memorial awarded CDR Alvarez the ‘‘Lone
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Sailor Award’’.
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(29) The people of the United States honor the
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sacrifices of CDR Alvarez and his service to the
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United States.
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SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
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(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of
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the House of Representatives and the President pro tem-
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pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements
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for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold
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medal of appropriate design to Everett Alvarez, Jr., in rec-
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ognition of his service to the United States.
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(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the presen-
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tation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of
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the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec-
23
retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable em-
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•S 633 IS
blems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by
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the Secretary.
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(2) IMAGE AND INSCRIPTION.—The gold medal
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struck under paragraph (1) shall bear an image of,
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and the inscription of the name of, Everett Alvarez,
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Jr.
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SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
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The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in
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bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price
9
sufficient to cover the costs of the medals, including labor,
10
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.
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SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
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(a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck under this
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Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title
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31, United States Code.
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(b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section
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5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck
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under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
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SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF
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SALE.
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(a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is
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authorized to be charged against the United States Mint
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Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec-
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essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck under
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this Act.
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(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the
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sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section
2
4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public
3
Enterprise Fund.
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Æ
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