I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3388

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the issuance of 

a military service medal to each member of the Armed Forces who 

served honorably during the Cold War, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 29, 2003

Mr. TANCREDO (for himself, Mr. MOORE, and Mr. MORAN of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 

Services 

A BILL

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the 

issuance of a military service medal to each member 

of the Armed Forces who served honorably during the 

Cold War, and for other purposes.

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 ‘‘Cold War Victory 

5 Medal Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) The United States Armed Forces engaged 

2 the forces of international communism from Sep3 tember 2, 1945, the end of World War II, through 

4 December 26, 1991, the date of the disintegration of 

5 the former Soviet Union. 

6 (2) During that extended period, the United 

7 States relied for the security of the Nation and its 

8 interests on the performance by the Armed Forces 

9 of their obligation to serve and defend the United 

10 States. 

11 (3) The defeat of the former Soviet Union and 

12 its Warsaw Pact allies constituted the greatest suc13 cess of the Armed Forces since the end of World 

14 War II. 

15 (4) Many members of the Armed Forces who 

16 served the Nation during the prolonged period of the 

17 Cold War have not received the tangible recognition 

18 that they are due for that service. 

19 (b) REAFFIRMATION OF PRIOR FINDINGS.—Congress 

20 reaffirms the findings in section 1084 of the National De21 fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 (Public Law 

22 105–85; 10 U.S.C. note prec. 1121; 111 Stat. 1919–

23 1920), which commended members of the Armed Forces 

24 and Government civilian personnel who served during the 

25 Cold War, and notes that that section provided for the 
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1 issuance of a certificate of recognition for those members 

2 and personnel. 

3 SEC. 3. COLD WAR VICTORY MEDAL. 

4 (a) AUTHORITY.—Chapter 57 of title 10, United 

5 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol6 lowing new section: 

7 ‘‘§ 1134. Cold War Victory Medal 

8 ‘‘(a) MEDAL AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary con9 cerned shall issue a service medal, to be known as the 

10 ‘Cold War Victory Medal’, to persons eligible to receive 

11 the medal under subsection (b). The Cold War Victory 

12 Medal shall be of an appropriate design approved by the 

13 Secretary of Defense, with ribbons, lapel pins, and other 

14 appurtenances. 

15 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE PERSONS.—The following persons are 

16 eligible to receive a Cold War Victory Medal: 

17 ‘‘(1) A person who—

18 ‘‘(A) performed active duty or inactive 

19 duty training as an enlisted member during the 

20 Cold War; 

21 ‘‘(B) completed the person’s initial term of 

22 enlistment or, if discharged before completion of 

23 such initial term of enlistment, was honorably 

24 discharged after completion of not less than 

25 180 days of service on active duty; and 
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1 ‘‘(C) has not received a discharge less fa2 vorable than an honorable discharge or a re3 lease from active duty with a characterization 

4 of service less favorable than honorable. 

5 ‘‘(2) A person who—

6 ‘‘(A) performed active duty or inactive 

7 duty training as a commissioned officer or war8 rant officer during the Cold War; 

9 ‘‘(B) completed the person’s initial service 

10 obligation as an officer or, if discharged or sep11 arated before completion of such initial service 

12 obligation, was honorably discharged after com13 pletion of not less than 180 days of service on 

14 active duty; and 

15 ‘‘(C) has not been released from active 

16 duty with a characterization of service less fa17 vorable than honorable and has not received 

18 discharge or separation less favorable than an 

19 honorable discharge. 

20 ‘‘(c) ONE MEDAL AUTHORIZED.—Not more than one 

21 Cold War Victory Medal may be issued to or on behalf 

22 of any person described in subsection (b). 

23 ‘‘(d) ISSUANCE TO REPRESENTATIVE OF DE24 CEASED.—If a person described in subsection (b) dies be25 fore being issued a Cold War Victory Medal, the medal 
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1 shall be presented to the person’s representative, as des2 ignated by the Secretary concerned. 

3 ‘‘(e) REPLACEMENT.—Under regulations prescribed 

4 by the Secretary concerned, a Cold War Victory Medal 

5 that is lost, destroyed, or rendered unfit for use without 

6 fault or neglect on the part of the person to whom it was 

7 issued may be replaced without charge. 

8 ‘‘(f) APPLICATION FOR MEDAL.—The Secretary con9 cerned shall issue a Cold War Victory Medal to or on be10 half of a person described in subsection (b) upon receipt 

11 by the Secretary concerned of an application for such 

12 medal, submitted in accordance with such regulations as 

13 the Secretary prescribes. 

14 ‘‘(g) UNIFORM REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of De15 fense shall ensure that regulations prescribed under this 

16 section by the Secretaries of the military departments are 

17 uniform so far as is practicable. 

18 ‘‘(h) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘Cold 

19 War’ means the period beginning on September 2, 1945, 

20 and ending on December 26, 1991.’’. 

21 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

22 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

23 at the end the following new item:

‘‘1134. Cold War Victory Medal.’’.

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