I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 550 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the United States 

Merchant Mariners of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated 

and vital service during World War II. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 15, 2019 

Mr. GARAMENDI (for himself, Mr. YOUNG, and Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the 

United States Merchant Mariners of World War II, in 

recognition of their dedicated and vital service during 

World War II. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Merchant Mariners 

5 of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of the 

2 Allied victory in World War II and the restoration 

3 of peacetime across the European and Pacific thea4 ters. 

5 (2) The United States Merchant Marine (in 

6 this section referred to as the ‘‘Merchant Marine’’) 

7 was integral in providing the link between domestic 

8 production and the fighting forces overseas, pro9 viding combat equipment, fuel, food, commodities, 

10 and raw materials to troops stationed abroad. 

11 (3) Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King acknowledged 

12 the indispensability of the Merchant Marine to the 

13 victory in a 1945 letter stating that, without the 

14 support of the Merchant Marine, ‘‘the Navy could 

15 not have accomplished its mission’’. 

16 (4) President, and former Supreme Commander 

17 of the Allied Forces, Dwight D. Eisenhower ac18 knowledged that ‘‘through the prompt delivery of 

19 supplies and equipment to our armed forces over20 seas, and of cargoes representing economic and mili21 tary aid to friendly nations, the American Merchant 

22 Marine has effectively helped to strengthen the 

23 forces of freedom throughout the world’’. 

24 (5) Military missions and war planning were 

25 contingent upon the availability of resources and the 


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1 Merchant Marine played a vital role in this regard, 

2 ensuring the efficient and reliable transoceanic 

3 transport of military equipment and both military 

4 and civilian personnel. 

5 (6) The Merchant Marine provided for the suc6 cessful transport of resources and personnel despite 

7 consistent and ongoing exposure to enemy combat8 ants from both the air and the sea, including from 

9 enemy bomber squadrons, submarines, and mines. 

10 (7) The efforts of the Merchant Marine were 

11 not without sacrifices as the Merchant Marine bore 

12 a higher per-capita casualty rate than any other 

13 branch of the military during the war. 

14 (8) The Merchant Marine proved to be an in15 strumental asset on an untold number of occasions, 

16 participating in every landing operation by the 

17 United States Marine Corps, from Guadalcanal to 

18 Iwo Jima. 

19 (9) The Merchant Marine provided the bulk 

20 tonnage of material necessary for the invasion of 

21 Normandy, an invasion which, according to a 1944 

22 New York Times article, ‘‘would not have been pos23 sible without the Merchant Marine’’. 

24 (10) In assessing the performance of the Mer25 chant Marine, General Eisenhower stated, ‘‘every 


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1 man in this Allied command is quick to express his 

2 admiration for the loyalty, courage, and fortitude of 

3 the officers and men of the Merchant Marine. We 

4 count upon their efficiency and their utter devotion 

5 to duty as we do our own; they have never failed 

6 us’’. 

7 (11) During a September 1944 speech, Presi8 dent Franklin D. Roosevelt stated that the Merchant 

9 Marine had ‘‘delivered the goods when and where 

10 needed in every theater of operations and across 

11 every ocean in the biggest, the most difficult, and 

12 dangerous transportation job ever undertaken. As 

13 time goes on, there will be greater public under14 standing of our merchant fleet’s record during this 

15 war.’’. 

16 (12) The feats and accomplishments of the 

17 Merchant Marine are deserving of broader public 

18 recognition. 

19 (13) The United States will be forever grateful 

20 and indebted to these merchant mariners for their 

21 effective, reliable, and courageous transport of goods 

22 and resources in enemy territory throughout thea23 ters of every variety in World War II. 

24 (14) The goods and resources transported by 

25 the Merchant Marine saved thousands of lives and 


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1 enabled the Allied Powers to claim victory in World 

2 War II. 

3 (15) The Congressional Gold Medal would be 

4 an appropriate way to shed further light on the serv5 ice of the merchant mariners in World War II and 

6 the instrumental role they played in winning that 

7 war. 

8 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

9 (a) AWARD AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the 

10 House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 

11 of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the 

12 award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal of 

13 appropriate design to the United States Merchant Mari14 ners of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated 

15 and vital service during World War II. 

16 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the 

17 award described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 

18 Treasury (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall 

19 strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 

20 inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary. 

21 (c) AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE MUSEUM.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the 

23 gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal 

24 shall be given to the American Merchant Marine 


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1 Museum, where it will be available for display as ap2 propriate and available for research. 

3 (2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 

4 Congress that the American Merchant Marine Mu5 seum should make the gold medal given to the Mu6 seum under paragraph (1) available for display else7 where, particularly at appropriate locations associ8 ated with the United States Merchant Marine and 

9 that preference should be given to locations affiliated 

10 with the United States Merchant Marine. 

11 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

12 Under such regulations as the Secretary may pre13 scribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

14 bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price 

15 sufficient to cover the costs of the medals, including labor, 

16 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 

17 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

18 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck under this 

19 Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 

20 31, United States Code. 

21 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 

22 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 

23 under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

Æ 


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