I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1889 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the members of Escuadro ́n 201. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 26, 2019 

Ms. SA ́NCHEZ (for herself, Mr. SOTO, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mrs. TORRES of California, Ms. ESCOBAR, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, and 

Mrs. NAPOLITANO) 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 members of 

Escuadro ́n 201. 

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 ‘‘Escuadro ́n 201 Con5 gressional Gold Medal Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Escuadro ́n 201, or the 201st Squadron, of 

2 the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force fought along3 side United States forces in the South Pacific during 

4 World War II. 

5 (2) Nicknamed the Aztec Eagles, Escuadro ́n 

6 201 integrated with United States forces including 

7 the U.S. 5th Air Force and the 58th Fighter Group 

8 to provide close air support for American and Phil9 ippine ground forces as well as long range strikes 

10 using Republic P–47D Thunderbolt fighter aircraft. 

11 (3) Following Mexico’s declaration of war on 

12 Japan, Germany, and Italy on May 28, 1942, Mex13 ico entered into agreements with the United States 

14 to collaborate through the reciprocal use of airfields 

15 and facilities and the training of Mexican personnel 

16 by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). 

17 (4) With the assistance of USAAF, Mexican 

18 Expeditionary Air Force pilots were trained in Gua19 dalajara, Mexico and later moved to USAAF schools 

20 in the United States for additional individual and 

21 unit training. 

22 (5) In July 1944, 36 pilots and 264 support 

23 personnel formed Escuadro ́n 201, Mexico’s first 

24 squadron that would be deployed overseas to fight 

25 alongside United States forces. 


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1 (6) In February 1945, Escuadro ́n 201 and the 

2 headquarters of the Mexican Expeditionary Air 

3 Force moved to the Philippine Islands and began 

4 combat operations with the 58th Fighter Group in 

5 Porac, Luzon. 

6 (7) Deployed to Okinawa in July 1945, 

7 Escuadro ́n 201 provided close in ground support for 

8 the U.S. 25th ‘‘Tropic Lightning’’ Division and Phil9 ippine Army units as well as long-range strikes into 

10 Japanese-held territory in Taiwan. 

11 (8) Mexico was prepared to send additional 

12 squadrons to fight with Allied forces had Japan not 

13 offered its unconditional surrender following the at14 tacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

15 (9) Seven Escuadro ́n 201 pilots lost their lives 

16 fighting Axis forces. 

17 (10) During its 795 combat sorties and 2,000 

18 hours of combat flying, Escuadro ́n 201 exemplified 

19 valor and was indispensable to the war effort and an 

20 Allied victory. 

21 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

22 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

23 the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tem24 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

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


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1 gold medal of appropriate design to the members of 

2 Escuadro ́n 201. 

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

4 presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 

5 of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec6 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 

7 devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Sec8 retary. 

9 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

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

11 gold medal in honor of Escuadro ́n 201, the gold 

12 medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, 

13 where it shall be available for display as appropriate 

14 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 Escuadro ́n 

20 201, and that preference should be given to locations 

21 affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. 

22 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

23 Under such regulations as the Secretary may pre24 scribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

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


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

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

3 SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS. 

4 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu5 ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 

6 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

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

8 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 

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

Æ 


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