I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 906 

To award a Congressional gold medal to the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), commonly known as ‘‘Merrill’s Marauders’’, in recognition of 

their bravery and outstanding service in the jungles of Burma during 

World War II. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 30, 2019 

Mr. KING of New York (for himself, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. 

KINZINGER, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. ZELDIN, and Mr. 

AGUILAR) 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 Congressional gold medal to the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), commonly known as ‘‘Merrill’s 

Marauders’’, in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service in the jungles of Burma 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Merrill’s Marauders 

5 Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) In August 1943 President Franklin D. Roo4 sevelt and other allied leaders proposed the creation 

5 of an American ground unit that would engage in a 

6 ‘‘long-range penetration mission’’ in Japanese-occu7 pied Burma. This unit’s mission would be to cut off 

8 Japanese communications and supply lines, and cap9 ture Japanese-held airfield and town of Myitkyina. 

10 (2) President Roosevelt issued a call for volun11 teers for ‘‘a dangerous and hazardous mission’’, the 

12 call was answered by approximately 3,000 American 

13 soldiers. The unit was officially designated as the 

14 ‘‘5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)’’ Code Name: 

15 ‘‘Galahad’’. Later it became known as ‘‘Merrill’s 

16 Marauders’’ named after its leader, Brigadier Gen17 eral Frank Merrill. 

18 (3) In February 1944 the Marauders began 

19 their approximately 1,000-mile trek through the 

20 dense Burmese jungle. The Marauders had no artil21 lery support and carried their supplies on their 

22 backs or the pack saddles of mules. 

23 (4) Over the course of their 5-month trek to 

24 Myitkyina, the Marauders fought victoriously 

25 against larger Japanese forces through 5 major and 

26 30 minor engagements. 


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1 (5) During their march to Myitkyina the Ma2 rauders faced hunger and disease that were exacer3 bated by inadequate aerial resupply drops. Malaria, 

4 typhus, and dysentery inflicted more casualties on 

5 the Marauders than the Japanese. 

6 (6) By August 1944 the Marauders accom7 plished their mission, successfully disrupting Japa8 nese supply and communication lines, taking the 

9 town of Myitkyina and the Myitkyina airstrip, the 

10 only all-weather airstrip in Northern Burma. 

11 (7) After taking Myitkyina only 130 Marauders 

12 out of the original 2,750 were fit for duty. All re13 maining Marauders still in action were evacuated to 

14 hospitals due to tropical diseases, exhaustion, and 

15 malnutrition. 

16 (8) For their bravery and accomplishments the 

17 Marauders were awarded the ‘‘Distinguished Unit 

18 Citation’’, later redesignated as the ‘‘Presidential 

19 Unit Citation’’. Each Marauder also earned a 

20 Bronze Star for his service. 

21 (9) Though Merrill’s Marauders were oper22 ational for only a few months, the legacy of their 

23 bravery is honored by the United States Army 

24 through the modern day 75th Ranger Regiment, 


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1 which traces its lineage directly to the 5307th Com2 posite Unit. 

3 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

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

5 House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 

6 of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the 

7 award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold medal 

8 of appropriate design to the 5307th Composite Unit (Pro9 visional), commonly known as ‘‘Merrill’s Marauders’’, in 

10 recognition of their bravery and outstanding service in the 

11 jungles of Burma during World War II. 

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

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

14 Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec15 retary’’) shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, 

16 devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec17 retary. 

18 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

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

20 gold medal referred to in subsection (a) in honor of 

21 the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), who be22 came known as ‘‘Merrill’s Marauders’’, the gold 

23 medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, 

24 where it will be displayed as appropriate and made 

25 available for research. 


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

2 Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should 

3 make the gold medal received under this Act avail4 able for display elsewhere, particularly at other loca5 tions and events associated with Merrill’s Maraud6 ers. 

7 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

8 Under such regulations as the Secretary may pre9 scribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

10 bronze of the gold medal struck under section 4, at a price 

11 sufficient to cover the costs of the medals, including labor, 

12 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 

13 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

14 Medals struck pursuant to this Act are national med15 als for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 

16 Code. 

Æ 


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