II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1209 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 20, 2014 

Received 

AN ACT 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War 

II members of the ‘‘Doolittle Tokyo Raiders’’, for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and service to the United 

States in conducting the bombings of Tokyo. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds that— 

3 (1) on April 18, 1942, the brave men of the 

4 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) became known 

5 as the ‘‘Doolittle Tokyo Raiders’’ for outstanding 

6 heroism, valor, skill, and service to the United 

7 States in conducting the bombings of Tokyo; 

8 (2) 80 brave American aircraft crewmen, led by 

9 Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, volunteered for 

10 an ‘‘extremely hazardous mission’’, without knowing 

11 the target, location, or assignment, and willingly put 

12 their lives in harm’s way, risking death, capture, and 

13 torture; 

14 (3) the conduct of medium bomber operations 

15 from a Navy aircraft carrier under combat condi16 tions had never before been attempted; 

17 (4) after the discovery of the USS Hornet by 

18 Japanese picket ships 170 miles further away from 

19 the prearranged launch point, the Doolittle Tokyo 

20 Raiders proceeded to take off 670 miles from the 

21 coast of Japan; 

22 (5) by launching more than 100 miles beyond 

23 the distance considered to be minimally safe for the 

24 mission, the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders deliberately ac25 cepted the risk that the B–25s might not have 


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1 enough fuel to reach the designated air-fields in 

2 China on return; 

3 (6) the additional launch distance greatly in4 creased the risk of crash landing in Japanese occu5 pied China, exposing the crews to higher probability 

6 of death, injury, or capture; 

7 (7) because of that deliberate choice, after 

8 bombing their targets in Japan, low on fuel and in 

9 setting night and deteriorating weather, none of the 

10 16 airplanes reached the prearranged Chinese air11 fields; 

12 (8) of the 80 Doolittle Tokyo Raiders who 

13 launched on the raid, 8 were captured, 2 died in the 

14 crash, and 70 returned to the United States; 

15 (9) of the 8 captured Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, 

16 3 were executed and 1 died of disease; and 

17 (10) there were only 5 surviving members of 

18 the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders as of February 2013. 

19 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

20 (a) AWARD.— 

21 (1) AUTHORIZED.—The President pro tempore 

22 of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Rep23 resentatives shall make appropriate arrangements 

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

25 gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the 


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1 World War II members of the 17th Bombardment 

2 Group (Medium) who became known as the ‘‘Doo3 little Tokyo Raiders’’, in recognition of their military 

4 service during World War II. 

5 (2) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes 

6 of the award referred to in paragraph (1), the Sec7 retary of the Treasury shall strike the gold medal 

8 with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to 

9 be determined by the Secretary. 

10 (3) NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED

11 STATES AIR FORCE.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of 

13 the gold medal referred to in paragraph (1) in 

14 honor of the World War II members of the 

15 17th Bombardment Group (Medium), who be16 came known as the ‘‘Doolittle Tokyo Raiders’’, 

17 the gold medal shall be given to the National 

18 Museum of the United States Air Force, where 

19 it shall be available for display with the Doo20 little Tokyo Raiders Goblets, as appropriate, 

21 and made available for research. 

22 (B) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense 

23 of Congress that the National Museum of the 

24 United States Air Force should make the gold 

25 medal received under this Act available for disVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:19 May 21, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1209.RDS H1209

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1 play elsewhere, particularly at other locations 

2 and events associated with the Doolittle Tokyo 

3 Raiders. 

4 (b) DUPLICATE MEDALS.—Under such regulations 

5 as the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may strike 

6 and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck 

7 under this Act, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of 

8 the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machin9 ery, and overhead expenses. 

10 (c) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck pursuant to 

11 this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 

12 of title 31, United States Code. 

Passed the House of Representatives May 19, 2014. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 

By ROBERT F. REEVES, 

Deputy Clerk. 


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