American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act

Summary: American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a single congressional gold medal in honor of the American Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition of their heroic military service and defense of the nation's freedom. Requires the medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution for display and research purposes. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the American Fighter Aces. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the gold medal at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``American Fighter Aces Congressional 
Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
    The Congress finds the following:
        (1) An American Fighter Ace is a fighter pilot who has served 
    honorably in a United States military service and who has destroyed 
    5 or more confirmed enemy aircraft in aerial combat during a war or 
    conflict in which American armed forces have participated.
        (2) Beginning with World War I, and the first use of airplanes 
    in warfare, military services have maintained official records of 
    individual aerial victory credits during every major conflict. Of 
    more than 60,000 United States military fighter pilots that have 
    taken to the air, less than 1,500 have become Fighter Aces.
        (3) Americans became Fighter Aces in the Spanish Civil War, 
    Sino-Japanese War, Russian Civil War, Arab-Israeli War, and others. 
    Additionally, American military groups' recruited United States 
    military pilots to form the American Volunteer Group, Eagle 
    Squadron, and others that produced American-born Fighter Aces 
    fighting against axis powers prior to Pearl Harbor.
        (4) The concept of a Fighter Ace is that they fought for 
    freedom and democracy across the globe, flying in the face of the 
    enemy to defend freedom throughout the history of aerial combat. 
    American-born citizens became Fighter Aces flying under the flag of 
    United States allied countries and became some of the highest 
    scoring Fighter Aces of their respective wars.
        (5) American Fighter Aces hail from every State in the Union, 
    representing numerous ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds.
        (6) Fighter Aces possess unique skills that have made them 
    successful in aerial combat. These include courage, judgment, keen 
    marksmanship, concentration, drive, persistence, and split-second 
    thinking that makes an Ace a war fighter with unique and valuable 
    flight driven skills.
        (7) The Aces' training, bravery, skills, sacrifice, attention 
    to duty, and innovative spirit illustrate the most celebrated 
    traits of the United States military, including service to country 
    and the protection of freedom and democracy.
        (8) American Fighter Aces have led distinguished careers in the 
    military, education, private enterprise, and politics. Many have 
    held the rank of General or Admiral and played leadership roles in 
    multiple war efforts from WWI to Vietnam through many decades. In 
    some cases they became the highest ranking officers for following 
    wars.
        (9) The extraordinary heroism of the American Fighter Ace 
    boosted American morale at home and encouraged many men and women 
    to enlist to fight for America and democracy across the globe.
        (10) Fighter Aces were among America's most-prized military 
    fighters during wars. When they rotated back to the United States 
    after combat tours, they trained cadets in fighter pilot tactics 
    that they had learned over enemy skies. The teaching of combat 
    dogfighting to young aviators strengthened our fighter pilots to 
    become more successful in the skies. The net effect of this was to 
    shorten wars and save the lives of young Americans.
        (11) Following military service, many Fighter Aces became test 
    pilots due to their superior flying skills and quick thinking 
    abilities.
        (12) Richard Bong was America's top Ace of all wars scoring a 
    confirmed 40 enemy victories in WWII. He was from Poplar, 
    Wisconsin, and flew the P-38 Lightning in all his combat sorties 
    flying for the 49th Fighter Group. He was killed in 1945 during a 
    P-80 test flight in which the engine flamed out on takeoff.
        (13) The American Fighter Aces are one of the most decorated 
    military groups in American history. Twenty-two Fighter Aces have 
    achieved the rank of Admiral in the Navy. Seventy-nine Fighter Aces 
    have achieved the rank of General in the Army, Marines, and Air 
    Force. Nineteen Medals of Honor have been awarded to individual 
    Fighter Aces.
        (14) The American Fighter Aces Association has existed for over 
    50 years as the primary organization with which the Aces have 
    preserved their history and told their stories to the American 
    public. The Association established and maintains the Outstanding 
    Cadet in Airmanship Award presented annually at the United States 
    Air Force Academy; established and maintains an awards program for 
    outstanding fighter pilot ``lead-in'' trainee graduates from the 
    Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps; and sponsors a scholarship 
    program for descendants of American Fighter Aces.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the 
Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the 
American Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition of their heroic 
military service and defense of our country's freedom, which has 
spanned the history of aviation warfare.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 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 American Fighter Aces, the gold medal shall be given to the 
    Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for display as 
    appropriate and available for research.
        (2) Sense of the congress.--It is the sense of the Congress 
    that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal awarded 
    pursuant to this Act available for display elsewhere, particularly 
    at appropriate locations associated with the American Fighter Aces, 
    and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with 
    the Smithsonian Institution.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 3 under such regulations as the 
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS.
    The medal struck pursuant to this Act is a national medal for 
purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.