II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1460 

To grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the First Special 

Service Force, in recognition of its superior service during World War II. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 1, 2011 

Mr. BAUCUS (for himself, Mr. TESTER, and Mr. BURR) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

A BILL 

To grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 

First Special Service Force, in recognition of its superior 

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. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) The First Special Service Force (in this Act 

6 referred to as the ‘‘Force’’) was organized as a joint 

7 American-Canadian unit activated in July 1942 at 

8 Fort Harrison near Helena, Montana. 


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1 (2) The Force was initially intended to target 

2 military and industrial installations that were sup3 porting the German war effort, including important 

4 hydroelectric plants, which would severely limit the 

5 production of strategic materials used by the Axis 

6 powers. 

7 (3) From July 1942 through June 1943, volun8 teers of the Force trained in hazardous, arctic condi9 tions, in the mountains of western Montana, and the 

10 waterways of Camp Bradford, Virginia. 

11 (4) The combat echelon of the Force totaled 

12 1,800 soldiers—half American, half Canadian. There 

13 were also 800 American members of the Service 

14 Battalion, which provided important support for the 

15 combat troops. 

16 (5) A special bond developed between the Cana17 dian and American soldiers. They were not seg18 regated by geography, although it was commanded 

19 by an American colonel. 

20 (6) The Force was unique, as it was the only 

21 unit formed during World War II consisting of 

22 troops from 2 different countries. 

23 (7) In October 1943, the Force went to Italy, 

24 where it fought in battles south of Cassino, including 

25 Monte La Difensa and Monte Majo. 


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1 (8) These mountain peaks were a critical an2 chor of the German defense line, and on December 

3 3, 1943, the Force’s units ascended to the top of La 

4 Difensa’s precipitous face. Climbing through the 

5 night, the battalion suffered heavy casualties and 

6 overcame fierce resistance to overtake the German 

7 line. 

8 (9) After La Difensa, the Force continued to 

9 fight tough battles at high altitudes, in rugged ter10 rain, and in severe weather. After battles on the 

11 strongly defended Italian peaks of Sammucro, 

12 Vischiataro, and Remetanea, the Force’s combat 

13 units had been reduced from 1,800 to fewer than 

14 500. 

15 (10) In 1944, the Force went to the Anzio 

16 Beachhead for 4 months, engaging in raids and ag17 gressive patrols. On June 4, 1944, members of the 

18 Force were the first Allied troops to liberate Rome. 

19 (11) After Rome, the Force moved to southern 

20 Italy, where it prepared to assist in the liberation of 

21 France. 

22 (12) During the early morning of August 15, 

23 1944, the Force made silent landings on Les Iles 

24 D’Hyeres, small islands in the Mediterranean Sea 

25 along the southern coast of France. They faced a 


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1 sustained and withering assault from the German 

2 garrisons, as the Force progressed from the islands 

3 to the Franco-Italian border. 

4 (13) After securing the Franco-Italian border, 

5 the United States Army ordered the disbandment of 

6 the First Special Service Force on December 5, 

7 1944 in Nice, France. 

8 (14) In 251 days of combat, the Force suffered 

9 2,314 casualties, or 134 percent of its combat 

10 strength. It captured more than 30,000 prisoners, 

11 won 5 United States campaign stars, and 8 Cana12 dian battle honors. It never failed a mission. 

13 (15) The United States is forever indebted to 

14 the acts of bravery and selflessness of these troops, 

15 risking their lives in covert missions for the cause of 

16 freedom. 

17 (16) The unparalleled work of the Force along 

18 the seas and skies of Europe were critical in repel19 ling the Nazi advance and liberating numerous 

20 French and Italian communities. 

21 (17) The bond between the American and Ca22 nadian service members has endured over the dec23 ades, as they continue to meet every year for re24 unions, alternating between Canada and the United 

25 States. 


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1 (18) The traditions and honors exhibited by the 

2 First Special Service Force are carried forward with 

3 its lineage embracing outstanding active units of 2 

4 great democracies in the Special Forces of the 

5 United States, the Canadian Airborne Regiment, 

6 and the Canadian Special Operations Regiment. 

7 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

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

9 House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 

10 of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the 

11 award, on behalf of the Congress, of 2 gold medals of ap12 propriate design to the First Special Service Force, collec13 tively, in recognition of their dedicated service during 

14 World War II. 

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

16 award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 

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

18 strike the gold medals with suitable emblems, devices, and 

19 inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary. 

20 (c) AWARD TO SMITHSONIAN AND FIRST SPECIAL

21 SERVICE FORCE ASSOCIATION.— 

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

23 gold medals in honor of the First Special Service 

24 Force, under subsection (a)— 


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1 (A) one gold medal shall be given to the 

2 Smithsonian Institution, where it will be dis3 played as appropriate and made available for 

4 research; and 

5 (B) one gold medal shall be given to the 

6 First Special Service Force Association in Hel7 ena, Montana. 

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

9 the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution and 

10 the First Special Service Force Association should 

11 make the gold medals received under paragraph (1) 

12 available for display elsewhere, particularly at other 

13 appropriate locations associated with the First Spe14 cial Service Force, including Fort William Henry 

15 Harrison in Helena, Montana. 

16 SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

17 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

18 bronze of the gold medals struck under section 2, at a 

19 price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals, including 

20 labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead ex21 penses. 

22 SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS. 

23 Medals struck pursuant to this Act are national med24 als for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 

25 Code. 


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1 SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUNDS; PROCEEDS OF SALE. 

2 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUNDS.—There is author3 ized to be charged against the United States Mint Public 

4 Enterprise Fund, an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay 

5 for the cost of the medals authorized under section 2. 

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

7 sale of duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be 

8 deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise 

9 Fund. 

Æ 


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