I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2279 

To award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to the U.S. Air Forces 

Escape and Evasion Society, in recognition of the ceaseless efforts of 

American aircrew members to escape captivity and evade capture by 

the enemy forces in occupied countries during our foreign wars, and 

the brave resistance organizations and patriotic nationals of those foreign 

countries who assisted them. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 1, 2017 

Ms. TSONGAS (for herself, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. MOULTON, and 

Mr. FARENTHOLD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee 

on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to the 

U.S. Air Forces Escape and Evasion Society, in recognition of the ceaseless efforts of American aircrew members 

to escape captivity and evade capture by the enemy 

forces in occupied countries during our foreign wars, 

and the brave resistance organizations and patriotic nationals of those foreign countries who assisted them. 

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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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S. Air Forces Es3 cape and Evasion Society Recognition Act of 2017’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 The Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) During nearly all foreign wars, members of 

7 our Air Force have been forced to eject, crash land, 

8 or abandon their aircraft in an occupied country or 

9 territory (referred to in this Act as ‘‘downed aircrew 

10 members’’). 

11 (2) Those downed aircrew members had to 

12 evade capture by enemy forces, often times while 

13 suffering from critical injuries. 

14 (3) Of the downed aircrew members that were 

15 captured, many escaped from the enemy force that 

16 was holding them. 

17 (4) Many times, downed aircrew members were 

18 aided in evasion and escape by resistance organiza19 tions and patriotic nationals in those occupied coun20 tries. 

21 (5) Thousands of brave, ordinary people in the 

22 occupied countries took extraordinary risks at huge 

23 costs to help these aircrew members. 

24 (6) Each downed aircrew member’s story is dif25 ferent; however, the narrative for each member has 

26 one common thread: American aircrew members 


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1 evading capture or escaping captivity with the assist2 ance of brave people living in an occupied country. 

3 (7) In 1964, the U.S. Air Forces Escape and 

4 Evasion Society (AFEES) was created by the 

5 downed aircrew members who evaded capture by 

6 enemy forces during foreign wars with the assistance 

7 of resistance organizations and patriotic nationals in 

8 occupied countries. 

9 (8) AFEES includes downed aircrew members 

10 and people who directly aided them in escape and 

11 evasion, and has more than 600 members, including 

12 members from World War II, the Korean War, and 

13 the Vietnam War. 

14 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

15 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

16 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem17 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

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

19 medal of appropriate design in commemoration to the U.S. 

20 Air Forces Escape and Evasion Society, in recognition of 

21 the ceaseless efforts of American aircrew members to es22 cape captivity and evade capture by the enemy forces in 

23 occupied countries during our foreign wars, and the brave 

24 resistance organizations and patriotic nationals of those 

25 foreign countries who assisted them. 


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

2 presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 

3 of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec4 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 

5 devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec6 retary. 

7 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

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

9 gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal 

10 shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where 

11 it shall be available for display as appropriate and 

12 available for research. 

13 (2) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense 

14 of the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution 

15 should make the gold medal awarded pursuant to 

16 this Act available for display elsewhere, particularly 

17 at appropriate locations associated with the U.S. Air 

18 Forces Escape and Evasion Society, and that pref19 erence should be given to locations affiliated with 

20 the Smithsonian Institution. 

21 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

22 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

23 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 

24 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 

25 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 


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1 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 

2 and the cost of the gold medal. 

3 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

4 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu5 ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 

6 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

7 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 

8 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 

9 under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

Æ 


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