I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1237 

To authorize and request the President to award the Medal of Honor posthumously to Major Dominic S. Gentile of the United States Army Air 

Forces for acts of valor during World War II. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 18, 2013 

Mrs. BEATTY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To authorize and request the President to award the Medal 

of Honor posthumously to Major Dominic S. Gentile 

of the United States Army Air Forces for acts of valor 

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. AUTHORIZATION AND REQUEST FOR AWARD 

4 OF MEDAL OF HONOR TO DOMINIC S. GEN5 TILE FOR ACTS OF VALOR DURING WORLD 

6 WAR II. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find8 ings: 


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•HR 1237 IH

1 (1) Major Dominic S. Gentile of the United 

2 States Army Air Forces destroyed at least 30 enemy 

3 aircraft during World War II, making him one of 

4 the highest scoring fighter pilots in American history 

5 and earning him the title of ‘‘Ace of Aces’’. 

6 (2) Major Gentile was the first American fight7 er pilot to surpass Captain Eddie Rickenbacker’s 

8 WWI record of 26 enemy aircraft destroyed. 

9 (3) Major Gentile was awarded several medals 

10 in recognition of his acts of valor during World War 

11 II, including two Distinguished Service Crosses, 

12 seven Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Silver Star, 

13 the Air Medal, and received similar honors from 

14 Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, and Canada. 

15 (4) Major Gentile was born in Piqua, Ohio, and 

16 died January 23, 1951, after which he was post17 humously appointed to the rank of major. 

18 (5) Major Gentile is buried in Columbus, Ohio. 

19 Gentile Air Force Station in Kettering, Ohio, is 

20 named in his honor and he was inducted into the 

21 National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1995. 

22 (b) AUTHORIZATION.—Notwithstanding the time lim23 itations specified in section 3744 of title 10, United States 

24 Code, or any other time limitation with respect to the 

25 awarding of certain medals to persons who served in the 


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•HR 1237 IH

1 Armed Forces, the President is authorized and requested 

2 to award the Medal of Honor posthumously under section 

3 3741 of such title to former Major Dominic S. Gentile of 

4 the United States Army Air Forces for the acts of valor 

5 during World War II described in subsection (c). 

6 (c) ACTS OF VALOR DESCRIBED.—The acts of valor 

7 referred to in subsection (b) are the actions of then Major 

8 Dominic S. Gentile who, as a pilot of a P–51 Mustang 

9 in the Army’s 336th Fighter Squadron, Fourth Fighter 

10 Group, of the Eighth Air Force in Europe during World 

11 War II, distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry 

12 and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond 

13 the call of duty by destroying at least 30 enemy aircraft 

14 during his service in the United State Army Air Forces. 

Æ 


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