Merrill’s Marauders Congressional Gold Medal Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 906 To award a Congressional gold medal to the 5307th Composite Unit (Provi- sional), commonly known as ‘‘Merrill’s Marauders’’, in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service in the jungles of Burma during World War II. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 30, 2019 Mr. KING of New York (for himself, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. KINZINGER, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. ZELDIN, and Mr. AGUILAR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak- er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju- risdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To award a Congressional gold medal to the 5307th Com- posite Unit (Provisional), commonly known as ‘‘Merrill’s Marauders’’, in recognition of their bravery and out- standing service in the jungles of Burma during World War II. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Merrill’s Marauders 4 Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:31 Feb 09, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H906.IH H906 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 906 IH SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 Congress makes the following findings: 2 (1) In August 1943 President Franklin D. Roo- 3 sevelt and other allied leaders proposed the creation 4 of an American ground unit that would engage in a 5 ‘‘long-range penetration mission’’ in Japanese-occu- 6 pied Burma. This unit’s mission would be to cut off 7 Japanese communications and supply lines, and cap- 8 ture Japanese-held airfield and town of Myitkyina. 9 (2) President Roosevelt issued a call for volun- 10 teers for ‘‘a dangerous and hazardous mission’’, the 11 call was answered by approximately 3,000 American 12 soldiers. The unit was officially designated as the 13 ‘‘5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)’’ Code Name: 14 ‘‘Galahad’’. Later it became known as ‘‘Merrill’s 15 Marauders’’ named after its leader, Brigadier Gen- 16 eral Frank Merrill. 17 (3) In February 1944 the Marauders began 18 their approximately 1,000-mile trek through the 19 dense Burmese jungle. The Marauders had no artil- 20 lery support and carried their supplies on their 21 backs or the pack saddles of mules. 22 (4) Over the course of their 5-month trek to 23 Myitkyina, the Marauders fought victoriously 24 against larger Japanese forces through 5 major and 25 30 minor engagements. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:31 Feb 09, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H906.IH H906 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 906 IH (5) During their march to Myitkyina the Ma- 1 rauders faced hunger and disease that were exacer- 2 bated by inadequate aerial resupply drops. Malaria, 3 typhus, and dysentery inflicted more casualties on 4 the Marauders than the Japanese. 5 (6) By August 1944 the Marauders accom- 6 plished their mission, successfully disrupting Japa- 7 nese supply and communication lines, taking the 8 town of Myitkyina and the Myitkyina airstrip, the 9 only all-weather airstrip in Northern Burma. 10 (7) After taking Myitkyina only 130 Marauders 11 out of the original 2,750 were fit for duty. All re- 12 maining Marauders still in action were evacuated to 13 hospitals due to tropical diseases, exhaustion, and 14 malnutrition. 15 (8) For their bravery and accomplishments the 16 Marauders were awarded the ‘‘Distinguished Unit 17 Citation’’, later redesignated as the ‘‘Presidential 18 Unit Citation’’. Each Marauder also earned a 19 Bronze Star for his service. 20 (9) Though Merrill’s Marauders were oper- 21 ational for only a few months, the legacy of their 22 bravery is honored by the United States Army 23 through the modern day 75th Ranger Regiment, 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:31 Feb 09, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H906.IH H906 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 906 IH which traces its lineage directly to the 5307th Com- 1 posite Unit. 2 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 3 (a) AWARD AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the 4 House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 5 of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the 6 award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold medal 7 of appropriate design to the 5307th Composite Unit (Pro- 8 visional), commonly known as ‘‘Merrill’s Marauders’’, in 9 recognition of their bravery and outstanding service in the 10 jungles of Burma during World War II. 11 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the 12 award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 13 Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec- 14 retary’’) shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, 15 devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec- 16 retary. 17 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the 19 gold medal referred to in subsection (a) in honor of 20 the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), who be- 21 came known as ‘‘Merrill’s Marauders’’, the gold 22 medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, 23 where it will be displayed as appropriate and made 24 available for research. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:31 Feb 09, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H906.IH H906 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 906 IH (2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 1 Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should 2 make the gold medal received under this Act avail- 3 able for display elsewhere, particularly at other loca- 4 tions and events associated with Merrill’s Maraud- 5 ers. 6 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 7 Under such regulations as the Secretary may pre- 8 scribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 9 bronze of the gold medal struck under section 4, at a price 10 sufficient to cover the costs of the medals, including labor, 11 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 12 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 13 Medals struck pursuant to this Act are national med- 14 als for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 15 Code. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:31 Feb 09, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H906.IH H906 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS