Donut Dollies Congressional Gold Medal Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3592 To award a Congressional Gold Medal to members of the Red Cross Supple- mental Recreational Activities Overseas (SRAO) program, also known as the ‘‘Donut Dollies’’, who served honorably during the Vietnam con- flict. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 22, 2023 Ms. SHERRILL (for herself, Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. ROSS, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. PHILLIPS, Mrs. LUNA, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. BERGMAN, and Ms. PETTERSEN) introduced the fol- lowing 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 consider- ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To award a Congressional Gold Medal to members of the Red Cross Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas (SRAO) program, also known as the ‘‘Donut Dollies’’, who served honorably during the Vietnam conflict. 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 ‘‘Donut Dollies Congres- 4 sional Gold Medal Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:27 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3592.IH H3592 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 3592 IH SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 The Congress finds the following: 2 (1) The Vietnam War, (1954–1975), a conflict 3 that pitted the communist Government of North 4 Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as 5 the Viet Cong, against the Government of South 6 Vietnam, involved thousands of U.S. servicemembers 7 and volunteers over its course. U.S. military advis- 8 ers, present in small numbers throughout the 1950s, 9 were introduced on a large scale beginning in 1961, 10 and active combat units were introduced in 1965. As 11 early as February 1962, the number of American 12 military forces in Vietnam warranted the assignment 13 of American Red Cross field directors. 14 (2) Women were not subject to the Vietnam-era 15 draft, but thousands volunteered. The first American 16 Red Cross Field Directors were sent to South Viet- 17 nam in February 1962. The last Red Cross staff 18 members to serve in-country departed in March 19 1973. Official records indicate that a total of 1,120 20 women served with the Red Cross in Vietnam during 21 that 11-year period. Of that number, 627 were 22 young women who were part of the organization’s 23 Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas 24 (SRAO) program. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:27 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3592.IH H3592 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 3592 IH (3) Based on Red Cross estimates, around 1 280,500 servicemen took part in these recreation 2 programs and the women, affectionately known as 3 ‘‘Donut Dollies’’, traveled 27,000 miles by jeep, 4 truck, airplane, and helicopter every month. Red 5 Cross officials estimate that, during the seven years 6 the program was in operation, the women logged 7 over 2,125,000 miles. The first SRAO unit opened 8 at Danang in September 1965. Others quickly fol- 9 lowed at Bien Hoa, Nha Trang, Cam Ranh Air 10 Force and Army bases, Dian, Quang Tri, Phu Bai, 11 Lai Khe, Dong Tam, Qui Nhon, Xuan Loc, and 12 more. In all, there were 28 SRAO unit locations 13 throughout the country. 14 (4) Military commanders expressed high praise 15 for the Red Cross volunteers, calling the services of 16 the organization ‘‘indispensable’’ and ‘‘prime fac- 17 tors’’ in their efforts to maintain the high morale of 18 their men and to look after their welfare. Writing to 19 Red Cross national headquarters in 1968, General 20 William Westmoreland, then commander of the U.S. 21 forces in Southeast Asia, stated, ‘‘Serving our men 22 on the battlefields here in Vietnam, the American 23 Red Cross is a hotline to the folks back home, an 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:27 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3592.IH H3592 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 3592 IH oasis in the heat of battle, and a comfort during 1 hospitalization.’’. 2 (5) These Red Cross volunteers shared with 3 military personnel the hardship and privation of life 4 in a war zone and were subject to the dangers of 5 war. Many staff were injured. Five American Red 6 Cross workers died in-country. Three of those were 7 women, Hanna E. Crews, Virginia E. Kirsch, and 8 Lucinda J. Richter, all of whom were members of 9 the SRAO program. 10 (6) The Donut Dollies volunteered to be sent to 11 the frontlines to support servicemembers directly en- 12 gaged with the enemy during the Vietnam conflict. 13 The extraordinary efforts of these volunteers 14 throughout the extent of America’s involvement in 15 the Vietnam conflict is deserving of official recogni- 16 tion. 17 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 18 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZATION.—The Speaker 19 of the House of Representatives and the President pro 20 tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrange- 21 ments for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of 22 a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration to 23 members of the Red Cross Supplemental Recreational Ac- 24 tivities Overseas (SRAO) program, also known as the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:27 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3592.IH H3592 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 3592 IH ‘‘Donut Dollies’’, who served honorably during the Viet- 1 nam conflict. 2 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the 3 award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 4 Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec- 5 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 6 devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec- 7 retary. 8 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the 10 gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal 11 shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where 12 it shall be available for display as appropriate and 13 made available for research. 14 (2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 15 Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should 16 make the gold medal received under paragraph (1) 17 available for display elsewhere, particularly at other 18 appropriate locations associated with the ‘‘Donut 19 Dollies’’. 20 (d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the 21 Congress that the United States Mint should expedite pro- 22 duction of the gold medal under this Act, so that the serv- 23 ice and sacrifice of ‘‘Donut Dollies’’ volunteers can be rec- 24 ognized and honored in a timely manner. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:27 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3592.IH H3592 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 3592 IH SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 1 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 2 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3, at 3 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 4 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 5 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 6 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu- 7 ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 8 51 of title 31, United States Code. 9 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 10 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 11 under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 12 SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 13 SALE. 14 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 15 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 16 Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec- 17 essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck under 18 this Act. 19 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 20 sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 21 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 22 Enterprise Fund. 23 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:27 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3592.IH H3592 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB