H. R. 685 

One Hundred Thirteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and fourteen 

An Act 

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. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

The Congress finds the following: 

(1) An American Fighter Ace is a fighter pilot who has 

served honorably in a United States military service and who 

has destroyed 5 or more confirmed enemy aircraft in aerial 

combat during a war or conflict in which American armed 

forces have participated. 

(2) Beginning with World War I, and the first use of airplanes in warfare, military services have maintained official 

records of individual aerial victory credits during every major 

conflict. Of more than 60,000 United States military fighter 

pilots that have taken to the air, less than 1,500 have become 

Fighter Aces. 

(3) Americans became Fighter Aces in the Spanish Civil 

War, Sino-Japanese War, Russian Civil War, Arab-Israeli War, 

and others. Additionally, American military groups’ recruited 

United States military pilots to form the American Volunteer 

Group, Eagle Squadron, and others that produced Americanborn Fighter Aces fighting against axis powers prior to Pearl 

Harbor. 

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

freedom and democracy across the globe, flying in the face 

of the enemy to defend freedom throughout the history of 

aerial combat. American-born citizens became Fighter Aces 

flying under the flag of United States allied countries and 

became some of the highest scoring Fighter Aces of their respective wars. 

(5) American Fighter Aces hail from every State in the 

Union, representing numerous ethnic, religious, and cultural 

backgrounds. 

(6) Fighter Aces possess unique skills that have made 

them successful in aerial combat. These include courage, judgment, keen marksmanship, concentration, drive, persistence, 
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and split-second thinking that makes an Ace a war fighter 

with unique and valuable flight driven skills. 

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

to duty, and innovative spirit illustrate the most celebrated 

traits of the United States military, including service to country 

and the protection of freedom and democracy. 

(8) American Fighter Aces have led distinguished careers 

in the military, education, private enterprise, and politics. Many 

have held the rank of General or Admiral and played leadership 

roles in multiple war efforts from WWI to Vietnam through 

many decades. In some cases they became the highest ranking 

officers for following wars. 

(9) The extraordinary heroism of the American Fighter 

Ace boosted American morale at home and encouraged many 

men and women to enlist to fight for America and democracy 

across the globe. 

(10) Fighter Aces were among America’s most-prized military fighters during wars. When they rotated back to the United 

States after combat tours, they trained cadets in fighter pilot 

tactics that they had learned over enemy skies. The teaching 

of combat dogfighting to young aviators strengthened our 

fighter pilots to become more successful in the skies. The net 

effect of this was to shorten wars and save the lives of young 

Americans. 

(11) Following military service, many Fighter Aces became 

test pilots due to their superior flying skills and quick thinking 

abilities. 

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

a confirmed 40 enemy victories in WWII. He was from Poplar, 

Wisconsin, and flew the P–38 Lightning in all his combat 

sorties flying for the 49th Fighter Group. He was killed in 

1945 during a P–80 test flight in which the engine flamed 

out on takeoff. 

(13) The American Fighter Aces are one of the most decorated military groups in American history. Twenty-two Fighter 

Aces have achieved the rank of Admiral in the Navy. Seventynine Fighter Aces have achieved the rank of General in the 

Army, Marines, and Air Force. Nineteen Medals of Honor have 

been awarded to individual Fighter Aces. 

(14) The American Fighter Aces Association has existed 

for over 50 years as the primary organization with which the 

Aces have preserved their history and told their stories to 

the American public. The Association established and maintains 

the Outstanding Cadet in Airmanship Award presented 

annually at the United States Air Force Academy; established 

and maintains an awards program for outstanding fighter pilot 

‘‘lead-in’’ trainee graduates from the Air Force, Navy, and 

Marine Corps; and sponsors a scholarship program for descendants of American Fighter Aces. 

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the House 

of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 

shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 

behalf of the Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design 

in honor of the American Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition 
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of their heroic military service and defense of our country’s freedom, 

which has spanned the history of aviation warfare. 

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

referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall 

strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary. 

(c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the gold medal 

in honor of the American Fighter Aces, the gold medal shall 

be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for display as appropriate and available for research. 

(2) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold 

medal awarded pursuant to this Act available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with 

the American Fighter Aces, and that preference should be given 

to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. 

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the 

gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 under such regulations 

as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the 

cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, 

and overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal. 

SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS. 

The medal struck pursuant to this Act is a national medal 

for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.