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106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5639

To authorize the payment of a gratuity to certain members of the Armed

Forces who served at Bataan and Corregidor during World War II,

or the surviving spouses of such members, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

DECEMBER 4, 2000

Mr. MINGE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To authorize the payment of a gratuity to certain members

of the Armed Forces who served at Bataan and Corregidor during World War II, or the surviving spouses

of such members, 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. AUTHORITY TO PAY GRATUITY TO CERTAIN

4 VETERANS OF BATAAN AND CORREGIDOR.

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find6 ings:

7 (1) From December 1941 to April 1942, mem8 bers of the Armed Forces fought valiantly against
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1 overwhelming Japanese military forces on the Ba2 taan peninsula in the Philippines, thereby preventing

3 Japan from accomplishing strategic objectives nec4 essary for early military victory in the Pacific during

5 World War II.

6 (2) After receiving orders to surrender on April

7 9, 1942, many such members were taken prisoner of

8 war by Japan and forced to march 85 miles from

9 the Bataan peninsula to a prisoner of war camp at

10 former Camp O’Donnell. That march resulted in

11 more than 10,000 deaths by reason of starvation,

12 disease, and executions.

13 (3) In June 1942, the United States personnel

14 at former Camp O’Donnell were joined with mem15 bers of the Armed Forces who had been captured at

16 Corregidor in the Philippines and transferred to the

17 Cabanatuan prisoner of war camp where many were

18 held through the remainder of World War II.

19 (4) In autumn 1944, Japanese authorities or20 dered more than 1,600 United States personnel who

21 were prisoners of war at the Cabanatuan camp to

22 provide slave labor in support of the war effort in

23 Japan.

24 (5) Many of the United States personnel who

25 were prisoners of war were transferred to Japan on
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1 unmarked vessels, some of which were attacked and

2 sunk by United States military aircraft.

3 (6) Units of the Armed Forces which served at

4 Bataan have received numerous citations, including

5 3 Presidential Unit Citations and the Philippine

6 Presidential Unit Citation for heroism, but repara7 tions to individual members of the Armed Forces

8 who were taken prisoner of war at Bataan were lim9 ited by a treaty governing the postwar reparations

10 for which the Government of Japan was liable.

11 (7) The amount of reparations paid to members

12 of the Armed Forces held as prisoner of war by

13 Japan during World War II were based on time

14 served as prisoner of war, but did not take into ac15 count slave labor performed while prisoner of war.

16 (8) The Government of Japan has concluded

17 through judicial proceedings that liability for com18 pensation payments expired in 1952.

19 (9) The Government of Canada authorized the

20 payment of compensation to veterans of the armed

21 forces of Canada who performed slave labor during

22 World War II but were not paid compensation for

23 the performance of such labor after the war.

24 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to rec25 ognize the heroic contributions of the members of the
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1 Armed Forces who served in the Philippines at Bataan

2 and Corregidor during World War II, were required to

3 perform slave labor by the Government of Japan to sup4 port the war effort of Japan during that war, and have

5 not been fully compensated for their contributions to and

6 sacrifices for United States victory in that war.

7 (c) PAYMENT OF GRATUITY AUTHORIZED.—The Sec8 retary of Veterans Affairs may pay a gratuity to a covered

9 veteran, or to the surviving spouse of a covered veteran,

10 in the amount of $20,000.

11 (d) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—For purposes of

12 this section, the term ‘‘covered veteran’’ means any vet13 eran of the Armed Forces who—

14 (1) served at Bataan or Corregidor in the Phil15 ippines during World War II;

16 (2) was captured and held as a prisoner of war

17 by Japan as a result of such service; and

18 (3) was required by Japan to perform slave

19 labor in Japan during World War II.

20 (e) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PAYMENTS.—Any

21 amount paid a person under this section for activity de22 scribed in subsection (d) is in addition to any other

23 amount paid such person for such activity under any other

24 provision of law.

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