I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 535 

To award a Congressional gold medal, collectively, to the Filipino Veterans 

of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated service during World 

War II. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 26, 2015 

Mr. VARGAS 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, collectively, to the 

Filipino Veterans of World War II, in recognition of 

their dedicated 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Filipino Veterans of 

5 World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued 

2 an order commissioning around 250,000 troops from 

3 the Philippines into active service for the United 

4 States during World War II. 

5 (2) The United States War Department imme6 diately formed the United States Armed Forces in 

7 the Far East (USAFFE). The unit was made up of 

8 the United States-Philippine Military Forces of the 

9 Commonwealth Army, Guerrilla Units, New Phil10 ippine Scout. 

11 (3) The Filipino Infantry Regiment, was mostly 

12 composed of first-generation immigrants living along 

13 the Pacific Coast, who volunteered after the Japa14 nese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, later many 

15 second-generation Filipino-American soldiers joined 

16 the Regiment from Hawaii. 

17 (4) The Philippine Scout units and the New 

18 Philippine Scouts were directly recruited by the 

19 United States Army for the war effort. 

20 (5) Under extremely severe occupation policies 

21 imposed by the Japanese, it was the anti-Japanese 

22 resistance movement that drew more and more Fili23 pinos to its side and through 1943 many of these 

24 anti-Japanese guerrillas recovered or newly estab25 lished liaisons with the United States Army ComVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:45 Jan 31, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H535.IH H535

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1 mand of the Southwest Pacific Area and placed 

2 themselves under the command of General Douglas 

3 MacArthur. 

4 (6) These Filipino soldiers responded to Presi5 dent Roosevelt’s call-to-arms and later fought under 

6 the American flag during World War II. 

7 (7) After the Japanese invasion in December 

8 1941, Filipino and American troops literally shared 

9 the same fate at Bataan, Corregidor, and the 

10 ‘‘Death March’’. 

11 (8) Many made the ultimate sacrifice as both 

12 soldiers in the United States Armed Forces in the 

13 Far East and as guerilla fighters during the Impe14 rial Japanese occupation of the Philippines. 

15 (9) These troops had served under the expecta16 tion that they would be treated as United States 

17 military servicemembers. 

18 (10) The Rescission Act of 1946 later passed, 

19 which stated that Filipino forces would not be 

20 deemed to have been active military. 

21 (11) Congress recognizes the courage and brav22 ery of the Filipino and Filipino-American servicemen 

23 and servicewomen who have fought alongside and in 

24 the United States Armed Forces. 


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1 (12) The United States remains forever in2 debted to the bravery, valor, and dedication to coun3 try these men displayed. 

4 (13) Their commitment and sacrifice dem5 onstrates a highly uncommon and commendable 

6 sense of patriotism and honor. 

7 (14) The Filipino Veterans of World War II in8 clude those who served honorably— 

9 (A) in an active-duty status under the 

10 command of the United States Armed Forces in 

11 the Far East; or 

12 (B) within the Philippine Army, the Phil13 ippine Scouts, or recognized guerrilla units, at 

14 any time during the period beginning Sep15 tember 1, 1939, and ending December 31, 

16 1946. 

17 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

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

19 House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 

20 of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the 

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

22 of appropriate design to the Filipino Veterans of World 

23 War II, collectively in recognition of their dedicated service 

24 during World War II. 


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

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

3 Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec4 retary’’) shall strike the 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 in honor of the Filipino Veterans of 

10 World War II under subsection (a), the gold medal 

11 shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where 

12 it will be displayed as appropriate and made avail13 able for research. 

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

15 Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should 

16 make the gold medal received under paragraph (1) 

17 available for display elsewhere, particularly at other 

18 appropriate locations associated with the Filipino 

19 Veterans of World War II. 

20 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

21 Under such regulations as the Secretary may pre22 scribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

23 bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price 

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

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


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1 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

2 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck pursuant to 

3 this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 

4 of title 31, United States Code. 

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

6 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 

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

Æ 


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