I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2370 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to issue a medal to certain veterans 

who died after their service in the Vietnam War as a direct result 

of that service, or who were presumptively exposed to ionizing radiation, 

herbicide agents, or chemical agents during their service in the Armed 

Forces. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 16, 2005 

Mr. FILNER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to issue a medal to 

certain veterans who died after their service in the Vietnam War as a direct result of that service, or who 

were presumptively exposed to ionizing radiation, herbicide agents, or chemical agents during their service in 

the Armed Forces. 

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 ‘‘In Memory Medal For 

5 Forgotten Veterans Act’’. 
2 

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1 SEC. 2. MEDAL TO HONOR VETERANS WHO DIED AS A RE2 SULT OF THEIR SERVICE IN THE VIETNAM 

3 WAR OR WHO WERE PRESUMPTIVELY EX4 POSED TO IONIZING RADIATION, HERBICIDE 

5 AGENTS, OR CHEMICAL AGENTS. 

6 (a) MEDAL AUTHORIZED.—There is established a 

7 medal, to be known as the ‘‘Jesus (Chuchi) Salgado 

8 Medal’’, to be issued by the Secretary of Defense to any 

9 of the following: 

10 (1) VETERANS WHO DIED AS A RESULT OF

11 THEIR SERVICE IN THE VIETNAM WAR.—A veteran 

12 of the Vietnam War who died after serving in the 

13 war, but whose death is determined by the Secretary 

14 of Defense to be a direct result of that service, and 

15 whose name is not eligible for placement on the Viet16 nam Veterans Memorial authorized under Public 

17 Law 96–297 (16 U.S.C. 431 note). 

18 (2) VETERANS EXPOSED TO IONIZING RADI19 ATION.—A radiation-exposed veteran who is eligible 

20 (or was at the time of death eligible) to receive bene21 fits from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under 

22 section 1710(e)(1)(B) of title 38, United States 

23 Code, attributable to the presumption of service-con24 nection under section 1112(c)(1) of that title. 

25 (3) VETERANS EXPOSED TO HERBICIDE

26 AGENTS.—A veteran of service in the Republic of 
3 

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1 Vietnam who is eligible (or was at the time of death 

2 eligible) to receive benefits from the Secretary of 

3 Veterans Affairs under section 1710(e)(1)(A) of title 

4 38, United States Code, attributable to the presump5 tion of service-connection under section 1116(f) of 

6 that title. 

7 (4) VETERANS EXPOSED TO CERTAIN CHEM8 ICAL AGENTS.—A veteran who served on active duty 

9 in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during 

10 the Persian Gulf War who is entitled (or was at the 

11 time of death entitled) to receive compensation from 

12 the United States under section 1110 of title 38, at13 tributable to the presumption of service-connection 

14 under section 1118(a) of that title. 

15 (b) APPLICATION AND DESIGN.—The Jesus (Chuchi) 

16 Salgado Medal shall be issued upon receipt by the Sec17 retary of Defense of an application for such medal, sub18 mitted in accordance with such regulations as the Sec19 retary prescribes. The medal shall be of an appropriate 

20 design approved by the Secretary. 

21 (c) ISSUANCE TO REPRESENTATIVE OF DE22 CEASED.—If a person described in subsection (a) dies be23 fore being issued the Jesus (Chuchi) Salgado Medal, the 

24 medal shall be issued to the next-of-kin or representative 

25 of such person, as designated by the Secretary of Defense. 
4 

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1 (d) ASSISTANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VET2 ERANS AFFAIRS.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

3 make available to the Secretary of Defense such records, 

4 and otherwise provide such assistance, as the Secretary 

5 of Defense may require for purposes of this section. 

6 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) RADIATION-EXPOSED VETERAN.—The term 

8 ‘‘radiation-exposed veteran’’ has the meaning given 

9 to that term in section 1112(c)(3)(A) of title 38, 

10 United States Code. 

11 (2) VETERAN OF SERVICE IN THE REPUBLIC OF

12 VIETNAM.—The term ‘‘veteran of service in the Re13 public of Vietnam’’ means a veteran who served on 

14 active duty in the Republic of Vietnam during the 

15 period beginning on February 28, 1961, and ending 

16 on May 7, 1975. 

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