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[111th Congress Public Law 254]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]

[[Page 124 STAT. 2637]]

Public Law 111-254
111th Congress

                                 An Act

 
   To grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th 
 Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States 
    Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War 
                II. <<NOTE: Oct. 5, 2010 -  [S. 1055]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: 31 USC 5111 
note.>> 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) On January 19, 1942, 6 weeks after the December 7, 1941, 
        attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Navy, the United States 
        Army discharged all Japanese-Americans in the Reserve Officers 
        Training Corps and changed their draft status to ``4C''--the 
        status of ``enemy alien'' which is ineligible for the draft.
            (2) On January 23, 1942, Japanese-Americans in the military 
        on the mainland were segregated out of their units.
            (3) Further, on May 3, 1942, General John L. DeWitt issued 
        Civilian Exclusion Order No. 346, ordering all people of 
        Japanese ancestry, whether citizens or noncitizens, to report to 
        assembly centers, where they would live until being moved to 
        permanent relocation centers.
            (4) On June 5, 1942, 1,432 predominantly Nisei (second 
        generation Americans of Japanese ancestry) members of the Hawaii 
        Provisional Infantry Battalion were shipped from the Hawaiian 
        Islands to Oakland, CA, where the 100th Infantry Battalion was 
        activated on June 12, 1942, and then shipped to train at Camp 
        McCoy, Wisconsin.
            (5) The excellent training record of the 100th Infantry 
        Battalion and petitions from prominent civilian and military 
        personnel helped convince President Roosevelt and the War 
        Department to reopen military service to Nisei volunteers who 
        were incorporated into the 442nd Regimental Combat Team after it 
        was activated in February of 1943.
            (6) In that same month, the 100th Infantry Battalion was 
        transferred to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, where it continued to 
        train, and even though the battalion was ready to deploy shortly 
        thereafter, the battalion was refused by General Eisenhower, due 
        to concerns over the loyalty and patriotism of the Nisei.
            (7) The 442nd Regimental Combat Team later trained with the 
        100th Infantry Battalion at Camp Shelby in May of 1943.
            (8) Eventually, the 100th Infantry Battalion was deployed to 
        the Mediterranean and entered combat in Italy on September 26, 
        1943.

[[Page 124 STAT. 2638]]

            (9) Due to their bravery and valor, members of the Battalion 
        were honored with 6 awards of the Distinguished Service Cross in 
        the first 8 weeks of combat.
            (10) The 100th Battalion fought at Cassino, Italy in January 
        1944, and later accompanied the 34th Infantry Division to Anzio, 
        Italy.
            (11) The 442nd Regimental Combat Team arrived in 
        Civitavecchia, Italy on June 7, 1944, and on June 15 of the 
        following week, the 100th Infantry Battalion was formally made 
        an integral part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and fought 
        for the last 11 months of the war with distinction in Italy, 
        southern France, and Germany.
            (12) The battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit 
        Citation for its actions in battle on June 26-27, 1944.
            (13) The 442nd Regimental became the most decorated unit in 
        United States military history for its size and length of 
        service.
            (14) The 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat 
        Team, received 7 Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of 
        Honor, 29 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 4,000 
        Bronze Stars, 22 Legion of Merit Medals, 15 Soldier's Medals, 
        and over 4,000 Purple Hearts, among numerous additional 
        distinctions.
            (15) The United States remains forever indebted to the 
        bravery, valor, and dedication to country these men faced while 
        fighting a 2-fronted battle of discrimination at home and 
        fascism abroad.
            (16) Their commitment and sacrifice demonstrates a highly 
        uncommon and commendable sense of patriotism and honor.
            (17) The Military Intelligence Service (in this Act referred 
        to as the ``MIS'') was made up of about 6,000 Japanese American 
        soldiers who conducted highly classified intelligence operations 
        that proved to be vital to United States military successes in 
        the Pacific Theatre.
            (18) As they were discharged from the Army, MIS soldiers 
        were told not to discuss their wartime work, due to its 
        sensitive nature, and their contributions were not known until 
        passage of the Freedom of Information Act in 1974.
            (19) MIS soldiers were attached individually or in small 
        groups to United States and Allied combat units, where they 
        intercepted radio transmissions, translated enemy documents, 
        interrogated enemy prisoners of war, volunteered for 
        reconnaissance and covert intelligence missions, and persuaded 
        enemy combatants to surrender.
            (20) Their contributions continued during the Allied postwar 
        occupation of Japan, and MIS linguistic skills and understanding 
        of Japanese customs were invaluable to occupation forces as they 
        assisted Japan in a peaceful transition to a new, democratic 
        form of government.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate 
arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold 
medal of appropriate design to the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd 
Regimental Combat Team, and the

[[Page 124 STAT. 2639]]

Military Intelligence Service, United States Army, collectively, in 
recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') 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 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental 
        Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service, United 
        States Army, under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given 
        to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed as 
        appropriate and made available for research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
        the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received 
        under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, 
        particularly at other appropriate locations associated with the 
        100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and 
        the Military Intelligence Service, United States Army.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck under section 2, at a price sufficient to cover the costs 
of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

    Medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals for purposes 
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUNDS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority To Use Funds.--There is authorized to be charged 
against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, an amount not to 
exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medal authorized under section 
2.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the United States 
Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

    Approved October 5, 2010.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 1055 (H.R. 347):
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 156 (2010):
            Aug. 2, considered and passed Senate.
            Sept. 23, considered and passed House.

                                  <all>
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