II

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 967

To provide a fair and full opportunity for recognizing with awards of military

decorations the meritorious and valorous acts, achievements, and service

performed by members of the Army in the Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku)

campaign in Vietnam in 1965.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 26 (legislative day, JUNE 19), 1995

Mr. LOTT (for himself, Mr. SMITH, Mr. SHELBY, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. HELMS,

Mr. HOLLINGS, Mr. KEMPTHORNE, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. FAIRCLOTH,

Mr. DOLE, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. WARNER, and Mr. MCCAIN) introduced the

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on

Armed Services

A BILL

To provide a fair and full opportunity for recognizing with

awards of military decorations the meritorious and valorous acts, achievements, and service performed by members of the Army in the Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign in Vietnam in 1965.

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 makes the following findings:

5 (1) The Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign,

6 carried out by the Armed Forces of the United
2

•S 967 IS

1 States in the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam from Octo2 ber 23, 1965, to November 26, 1965, pitted forces

3 of the United States Army against North Vietnam4 ese Army regulars in vicious battles in which many

5 United States soldiers displayed extraordinary hero6 ism, sacrifice, and bravery which has not yet been

7 officially recognized through award of appropriate

8 decorations.

9 (2) One of those battles, a running 4-day battle

10 fought from November 14 to November 18, 1965,

11 encompassed the first battalion-sized Army engage12 ment with North Vietnamese Army regulars.

13 (3) The soldiers of the United States Army

14 units engaged in the battle encountered and fought

15 valiantly against an overwhelming force of more

16 than 2,000 North Vietnamese Army regulars for an

17 extended period under notably difficult conditions.

18 (4) Historical literature published in the early

19 1990s authoritatively documents repeated acts of ex20 traordinary heroism, sacrifice, and bravery on the

21 part of many of the United States Army soldiers

22 who were engaged in the battles of the Ia Drang

23 Valley (Pleiku) campaign, many of whom have never

24 been officially recognized for those acts.
3

•S 967 IS

1 (5) United States Army units involved in com2 bat in the Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign suf3 fered substantial losses, including casualties in ex4 cess of 90 percent of strength in the case of some

5 companies.

6 (6) The incidence of heavy casualties through7 out the campaign has inhibited the timely collection

8 of comprehensive and detailed information to sup9 port recommendations for awards for the acts of

10 heroism, sacrifice, and bravery performed in the Ia

11 Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign engagements.

12 (7) Requests to the Secretary of the Army for

13 review of award recommendations for those acts

14 have been denied because of restrictions in law and

15 Army regulations that relate to timely filing of rec16 ommendations and requirements for documented

17 justification.

18 (8) Acts of heroism, sacrifice, and bravery per19 formed in combat by members of the Armed Forces

20 of the United States deserve appropriate and timely

21 recognition by the people of the United States.

22 (9) It is inappropriate for United States policy

23 to restrict recognition of military personnel for acts

24 of extraordinary heroism, sacrifice, or bravery that
4

•S 967 IS

1 are belatedly, but properly, documented by persons

2 who witnessed those acts.

3 SEC. 2. IA DRANG VALLEY (PLEIKU) CAMPAIGN DEFINED.

4 For the purposes of this Act, the Ia Drang Valley

5 (Pleiku) campaign is the campaign of military operations

6 carried out by the Armed Forces of the United States in

7 the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam during the period begin8 ning on October 23, 1965, and ending on November 26,

9 1965, and includes the activities of Army units and Army

10 personnel in providing direct support in or for such oper11 ations during that period.

12 SEC. 3. WAIVER OF RESTRICTIONS.

13 (a) AWARD AUTHORIZED.—Notwithstanding any

14 other provision of law, the Secretary of Defense or the

15 Secretary of the Army may award a decoration to any per16 son for an act, an achievement, or service that the person

17 performed in the Ia Drang Valley (Pleiku) campaign while

18 serving on active duty in the Army.

19 (b) DECORATIONS COVERED.—Subsection (a) applies

20 to any decoration (including any device in lieu of a decora21 tion) that, during or after the period of the Ia Drang Val22 ley (Pleiku) campaign and before the date of the enact23 ment of this Act, was authorized by Congress or under

24 regulations of the Department of Defense or the Depart25 ment of the Army to be awarded to a person for an act,
5

•S 967 IS

1 an achievement, or service performed by that person while

2 serving on active duty in the Army.

3 (c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘active

4 duty’’ has the meaning given such term in section

5 101(d)(1) of title 10, United States Code.

6 SEC. 4. REVIEW OF AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS.

7 (a) REVIEW REQUIRED.—The Secretary of the Army

8 shall review all recommendations for awards for acts,

9 achievements, or service described in section 3(a) that

10 have been received by the Secretary before the end of the

11 period of the review, including recommendations received

12 before the date of the enactment of this Act.

13 (b) PERIOD OF REVIEW.—The Secretary shall begin

14 the review within 30 days after the date of the enactment

15 of this Act and shall complete the review within one year

16 after such date.

17 (c) PROCESS.—The Secretary may use the same

18 process for carrying out the review as the Secretary uses

19 for reviewing other recommendations for awarding decora20 tions to members of the Army for acts, achievements, or

21 service.

22 (d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—(1) Upon completing

23 the review, the Secretary shall submit a report on the re24 view to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate
6

•S 967 IS

1 and the Committee on National Security of the House of

2 Representatives.

3 (2) The report shall contain the following information

4 on each recommendation for award reviewed:

5 (A) A summary of the recommendation.

6 (B) The findings resulting from the review.

7 (C) The final action taken on the recommenda8 tion.

Æ