113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1827 

AN ACT 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the American 

Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition of their heroic 

military service and defense of our country’s freedom 

throughout the history of aviation warfare. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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†S 1827 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Fighter Aces 

3 Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) An American Fighter Ace is a fighter pilot 

7 who has served honorably in a United States mili8 tary service and who has destroyed 5 or more con9 firmed enemy aircraft in aerial combat during a war 

10 or conflict in which American armed forces have 

11 participated. 

12 (2) Beginning with World War I, and the first 

13 use of airplanes in warfare, military services have 

14 maintained official records of individual aerial vic15 tory credits during every major conflict. Of more 

16 than 60,000 United States military fighter pilots 

17 that have taken to the air, less than 1,500 have be18 come Fighter Aces. 

19 (3) Americans became Fighter Aces in the 

20 Spanish Civil War, Sino-Japanese War, Russian 

21 Civil War, Arab-Israeli War, and others. Addition22 ally, American military groups’ recruited United 

23 States military pilots to form the American Volun24 teer Group, Eagle Squadron, and others that pro25 duced American-born Fighter Aces fighting against 

26 axis powers prior to Pearl Harbor. 
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1 (4) The concept of a Fighter Ace is that they 

2 fought for freedom and democracy across the globe, 

3 flying in the face of the enemy to defend freedom 

4 throughout the history of aerial combat. American5 born citizens became Fighter Aces flying under the 

6 flag of United States allied countries and became 

7 some of the highest scoring Fighter Aces of their re8 spective wars. 

9 (5) American Fighter Aces hail from every 

10 State in the Union, representing numerous ethnic, 

11 religious, and cultural backgrounds. 

12 (6) Fighter Aces possess unique skills that have 

13 made them successful in aerial combat. These in14 clude courage, judgment, keen marksmanship, con15 centration, drive, persistence, and split-second think16 ing that makes an Ace a war fighter with unique 

17 and valuable flight driven skills. 

18 (7) The Aces’ training, bravery, skills, sacrifice, 

19 attention to duty, and innovative spirit illustrate the 

20 most celebrated traits of the United States military, 

21 including service to country and the protection of 

22 freedom and democracy. 

23 (8) American Fighter Aces have led distin24 guished careers in the military, education, private 

25 enterprise, and politics. Many have held the rank of 
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1 General or Admiral and played leadership roles in 

2 multiple war efforts from WWI to Vietnam through 

3 many decades. In some cases they became the high4 est ranking officers for following wars. 

5 (9) The extraordinary heroism of the American 

6 Fighter Ace boosted American morale at home and 

7 encouraged many men and women to enlist to fight 

8 for America and democracy across the globe. 

9 (10) Fighter Aces were among America’s most10 prized military fighters during wars. When they ro11 tated back to the United States after combat tours, 

12 they trained cadets in fighter pilot tactics that they 

13 had learned over enemy skies. The teaching of com14 bat dogfighting to young aviators strengthened our 

15 fighter pilots to become more successful in the skies. 

16 The net effect of this was to shorten wars and save 

17 the lives of young Americans. 

18 (11) Following military service, many Fighter 

19 Aces became test pilots due to their superior flying 

20 skills and quick thinking abilities. 

21 (12) The American Fighter Aces are one of the 

22 most decorated military groups in American history. 

23 Twenty-two Fighter Aces have achieved the rank of 

24 Admiral in the Navy. Seventy-nine Fighter Aces 

25 have achieved the rank of General in the Army, Ma-
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1 rines, and Air Force. Nineteen Medals of Honor 

2 have been awarded to individual Fighter Aces. 

3 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

4 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

5 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem6 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

7 for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold 

8 medal of appropriate design to the American Fighter Aces, 

9 collectively, in recognition of their heroic military service 

10 and defense of our country’s freedom, which has spanned 

11 the history of aviation warfare. 

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

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

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

15 strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 

16 inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary. 

17 (c) AWARD OF MEDAL.—Following the award of the 

18 gold medal in honor of the American Fighter Aces under 

19 subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the Smith20 sonian Institution, where it shall be available for display 

21 or temporary loan to be displayed elsewhere, particularly 

22 at appropriate locations associated with the American 

23 Fighter Aces, and that preference should be given to loca24 tions affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. 
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1 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

2 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

3 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3, at 

4 a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medal, including 

5 labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead ex6 penses, and amounts received from the sale of such dupli7 cates shall be deposited in the United States Mint Public 

8 Enterprise Fund. 

9 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

10 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck under 

11 this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 

12 of title 31, United States Code. 

13 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 

14 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals 

15 struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic 

16 items. 

Passed the Senate March 26, 2014. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1827 

AN ACT 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Amertion warfare. country’s freedom throughout the history of avia- their heroic military service and defense of our ican Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition of