I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 685 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2013 

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas (for himself and Mr. HECK of Washington) 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 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds the following: 

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

4 who has served honorably in a United States mili5 tary service and who has destroyed 5 or more con6 firmed enemy aircraft in aerial combat during a war 

7 or conflict in which American armed forces have 

8 participated. 

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

10 use of airplanes in warfare, military services have 

11 maintained official records of individual aerial vic12 tory credits during every major conflict. Of more 

13 than 60,000 United States military fighter pilots 

14 that have taken to the air, less than 1,500 have be15 come Fighter Aces. 

16 (3) Americans became Fighter Aces in the 

17 Spanish Civil War, Sino-Japanese War, Russian 

18 Civil War, Arab-Israeli War, and others. Addition19 ally, American military groups’ recruited United 

20 States military pilots to form the American Volun21 teer Group, Eagle Squadron, and others that pro22 duced American-born Fighter Aces fighting against 

23 axis powers prior to Pearl Harbor. 

24 (4) The concept of a Fighter Ace is that they 

25 fought for freedom and democracy across the globe, 

26 flying in the face of the enemy to defend freedom 


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1 throughout the history of aerial combat. American2 born citizens became Fighter Aces flying under the 

3 flag of United States allied countries and became 

4 some of the highest scoring Fighter Aces of their re5 spective wars. 

6 (5) American Fighter Aces hail from every 

7 State in the Union, representing numerous ethnic, 

8 religious, and cultural backgrounds. 

9 (6) Fighter Aces possess unique skills that have 

10 made them successful in aerial combat. These in11 clude courage, judgment, keen marksmanship, con12 centration, drive, persistence, and split-second think13 ing that makes an Ace a war fighter with unique 

14 and valuable flight driven skills. 

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

16 attention to duty, and innovative spirit illustrate the 

17 most celebrated traits of the United States military, 

18 including service to country and the protection of 

19 freedom and democracy. 

20 (8) American Fighter Aces have led distin21 guished careers in the military, education, private 

22 enterprise, and politics. Many have held the rank of 

23 General or Admiral and played leadership roles in 

24 multiple war efforts from WWI to Vietnam through 


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1 many decades. In some cases they became the high2 est ranking officers for following wars. 

3 (9) The extraordinary heroism of the American 

4 Fighter Ace boosted American morale at home and 

5 encouraged many men and women to enlist to fight 

6 for America and democracy across the globe. 

7 (10) Fighter Aces were among America’s most8 prized military fighters during wars. When they ro9 tated back to the United States after combat tours, 

10 they trained cadets in fighter pilot tactics that they 

11 had learned over enemy skies. The teaching of com12 bat dogfighting to young aviators strengthened our 

13 fighter pilots to become more successful in the skies. 

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

15 the lives of young Americans. 

16 (11) Following military service, many Fighter 

17 Aces became test pilots due to their superior flying 

18 skills and quick thinking abilities. 

19 (12) Richard Bong was America’s top Ace of all 

20 wars scoring a confirmed 40 enemy victories in 

21 WWII. He was from Poplar, Wisconsin, and flew the 

22 P–38 Lightning in all his combat sorties flying for 

23 the 49th Fighter Group. He was killed in 1945 dur24 ing a P–80 test flight in which the engine flamed 

25 out on takeoff. 


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1 (13) The American Fighter Aces are one of the 

2 most decorated military groups in American history. 

3 Twenty-two Fighter Aces have achieved the rank of 

4 Admiral in the Navy. Seventy-nine Fighter Aces 

5 have achieved the rank of General in the Army, Ma6 rines, and Air Force. Nineteen Medals of Honor 

7 have been awarded to individual Fighter Aces. 

8 (14) The American Fighter Aces Association 

9 has existed for over 50 years as the primary organi10 zation with which the Aces have preserved their his11 tory and told their stories to the American public. 

12 The Association established and maintains the Out13 standing Cadet in Airmanship Award presented an14 nually at the United States Air Force Academy; es15 tablished and maintains an awards program for out16 standing fighter pilot ‘‘lead-in’’ trainee graduates 

17 from the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps; and 

18 sponsors a scholarship program for descendants of 

19 American Fighter Aces. 

20 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

21 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

22 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem23 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

24 for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a single 

25 gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the American 


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1 Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition of their heroic 

2 military service and defense of our country’s freedom, 

3 which has spanned the history of aviation warfare. 

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

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

6 Treasury shall strike the gold medal with suitable em7 blems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 

8 Secretary. 

9 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

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

11 gold medal in honor of the American Fighter Aces, 

12 the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian In13 stitution, where it will be available for display as ap14 propriate and available for research. 

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

16 of the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution 

17 should make the gold medal awarded pursuant to 

18 this Act available for display elsewhere, particularly 

19 at appropriate locations associated with the Amer20 ican Fighter Aces, and that preference should be 

21 given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian In22 stitution. 

23 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

24 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

25 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 


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1 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 

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

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

4 and the cost of the gold medal. 

5 SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS. 

6 The medal struck pursuant to this Act is a national 

7 medal for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 

8 Code. 

9 SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 

10 SALE. 

11 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 

12 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 

13 Public Enterprise Fund, an amount not to exceed $40,000 

14 to pay for the cost of the medal authorized under section 

15 3. 

16 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 

17 sale of duplicate bronze medals under section 4 shall be 

18 deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise 

19 Fund. 

Æ 


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