H. R. 1097 

One Hundred Eighteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-four 

An Act 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr., in recognition of 

his service to the Nation. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional 

Gold Medal Act of 2023’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds the following: 

(1) Commander (CDR) Everett Alvarez, Jr., served with 

distinction in the Vietnam war and made historic sacrifices 

for the United States as the first United States pilot to be 

shot down and captured during the Vietnam war and the 

second-longest prisoner of war in United States history, surviving over eight and half years in captivity. 

(2) CDR Alvarez was born in Salinas, California, in 1937, 

and was the grandchild of Mexican immigrants. 

(3) CDR Alvarez attended Salinas Union High School and 

Hartnell College and received a bachelor of science degree 

from Santa Clara University. 

(4) In 1960, CDR Alvarez joined the United States Navy 

and was commissioned as Ensign. 

(5) After receiving his commission, CDR Alvarez attended 

flight training at the Naval Air Basic Training Command in 

Pensacola, Florida. 

(6) In June 1961, CDR Alvarez was transferred to the 

Naval Auxiliary Air Station in Kingsville, Texas, where he 

trained until December 1961. 

(7) CDR Alvarez was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) 

in April 1962. 

(8) In June 1962, CDR Alvarez joined Attack Squadron 

144, nicknamed the ‘‘Roadrunners’’, which was deployed to 

the Gulf of Tonkin prior to the United States entrance in 

the Vietnam war in August 1964. 

(9) On August 5, 1964, while flying Operation Pierce Arrow 

from the USS Constellation near the Vietnam-China border, 

CDR Alvarez’s A–4 Skyhawk was shot down and he was captured by a Vietnamese fishing vessel. 

(10) Upon capture, CDR Alvarez was taken to the Ho`a 

Lo` Prison in Hanoi, known to many former prisoners as the 

‘‘Hanoi Hilton’’. 
H. R. 1097—2 

(11) CDR Alvarez spent his first thirteen months, eight 

days, and five hours in isolation. 

(12) While at Ho`a Lo`, CDR Alvarez was repeatedly beaten 

and tortured and was fed inedible meals and suffered 

malnourishment. 

(13) In September 1965, CDR Alvarez was moved to the 

‘‘Briarpatch’’, a prison camp west of Hanoi, with no electricity 

or running water. 

(14) Despite torture and interrogation, CDR Alvarez 

remained loyal to the United States and assisted other American prisoners of war. 

(15) CDR Alvarez, with his own actions, encouraged and 

inspired fellow prisoners of war to ‘‘Return with Honor’’, which 

meant keeping their integrity in the face of torture and not 

cooperating with or divulging information to the enemy, so 

they could return home having remained loyal to the United 

States. 

(16) At great risk, CDR Alvarez helped spread the means 

of communication, including the tap code and the mute hand 

code, to keep up spirits and stay organized. 

(17) On July 6, 1966, CDR Alvarez and 51 other American 

prisoners of war were forced to march in the ‘‘Hanoi Parade’’ 

where he was abused and attacked by mobs. 

(18) CDR Alvarez was released February 12, 1973, after 

spending 3,113 days in captivity, or eight years and six months. 

(19) Following his release and hospitalization, CDR Alvarez 

resumed his Naval service, returning to Naval Air Station 

Kingsville for refresher flight training. 

(20) CDR Alvarez attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate 

School in Monterey, California, and received a master’s degree 

in Operations Research and Systems Analysis in 1976. 

(21) CDR Alvarez was inducted into the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School’s Alumni Hall of Fame on March 27, 2015. 

(22) CDR Alvarez served in Program Management at the 

Naval Air Systems command in Washington, DC, from October 

1976 until his retirement. 

(23) CDR Alvarez retired from the Navy on June 30, 1980, 

completing a 20-year Naval career. 

(24) In 1983, CDR Alvarez earned his juris doctor from 

the George Washington School of Law and has been admitted 

to the District of Columbia bar. 

(25) In April 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed 

CDR Alvarez as Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, where 

he served until 1982. 

(26) In July 1982, President Reagan nominated CDR 

Alvarez to be Deputy Administrator of the Veterans Administration, now known as the Department of Veterans Affairs, 

serving until 1986. 

(27) In February 1987, President Reagan appointed CDR 

Alvarez to the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences, where he served for nearly 

21 years. 

(28) For his service, CDR Alvarez was awarded the Silver 

Star Medal, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying 

Cross, two Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Hearts, and the 

Prisoner of War Medal. 
H. R. 1097—3 

(29) On September 18, 2012, the United States Navy Memorial awarded CDR Alvarez the ‘‘Lone Sailor Award’’. 

(30) The people of the United States honor the sacrifices 

of CDR Alvarez and his service to our Nation. 

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 Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Everett 

Alvarez, Jr., in recognition of his service to the Nation. 

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

referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred 

to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall strike a gold medal with 

suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by 

the Secretary. The design shall bear an image of, and inscription 

of the name of, Everett Alvarez, Jr. 

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the 

gold medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover 

the costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of 

machinery, and overhead expenses. 

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

(a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck under this Act are 

national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United 

States Code. 

(b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 5134 of title 

31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall 

be considered to be numismatic items. 

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE. 

(a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is authorized 

to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise 

Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs 

of the medals struck under this Act. 

(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the sale of 

duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.