I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3658 

To grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the Monuments Men, 

in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and 

restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and following World War II. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 5, 2013 

Ms. GRANGER (for herself and Mr. CAPUANO) 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 grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the 

Monuments Men, in recognition of their heroic role in 

the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance 

during and following 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Monuments Men Rec5 ognition Act of 2013’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) On June 23, 1943, President Franklin D. 

4 Roosevelt formed the ‘‘American Commission for the 

5 Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic 

6 Monuments in War Areas’’. 

7 (2) The Commission established the Monu8 ments, Fine Arts, and Archives (‘‘MFAA’’) Section 

9 under the Allied Armies. 

10 (3) The men and women serving in the MFAA 

11 Section were referred to as the ‘‘Monuments Men’’. 

12 (4) These individuals had expertise as museum 

13 directors, curators, art historians, artists, architects, 

14 and educators. 

15 (5) In December 1943, General Dwight D. Ei16 senhower empowered the Monuments Men by issuing 

17 orders to all commanders that stated they must re18 spect monuments ‘‘so far as war allows’’. 

19 (6) Initially the Monuments Men were intended 

20 to protect and temporarily repair the monuments, 

21 churches, and cathedrals of Europe suffering dam22 age due to combat. 

23 (7) Hitler and the Nazis engaged in a pre-medi24 tated, mass theft of art and stored priceless works 

25 in thousands of art repositories throughout Europe. 


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1 (8) The Monuments Men adapted their mission 

2 to identify, preserve, catalogue, and repatriate al3 most 5,000,000 artistic and cultural items which 

4 they discovered. 

5 (9) This magnitude of cultural preservation was 

6 unprecedented during a time of conflict. 

7 (10) The Monuments Men grew to no more 

8 than 350 individuals and joined front line military 

9 forces; two Monuments Men lost their lives in action. 

10 (11) Following the Allied victory, the Monu11 ments Men remained abroad to rebuild cultural life 

12 in Europe through organizing art exhibitions and 

13 concerts. 

14 (12) Many of the Monuments Men became re15 nowned directors and curators of preeminent inter16 national cultural institutions, professors at institu17 tions of higher education, and founders of artistic 

18 associations both before and after the war. 

19 (13) The Monuments Men Foundation for the 

20 Preservation of Art was founded in 2007 to honor 

21 the legacy of the men and women who served as 

22 Monuments Men. 

23 (14) There are only five surviving members of 

24 the Monuments Men as of December 2013. 


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1 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

2 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

3 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem4 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

5 for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold 

6 medal of appropriate design in commemoration to Monu7 ments Men, in recognition of their heroic role in the pres8 ervation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works 

9 of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and fol10 lowing World War II. 

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

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

13 of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec14 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 

15 devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec16 retary. 

17 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

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

19 gold medal in honor of the Monuments Men, the 

20 gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Insti21 tution, where it will be available for display as ap22 propriate and available for research. 

23 (2) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense 

24 of the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution 

25 should make the gold medal awarded pursuant to 

26 this Act available for display elsewhere, particularly 


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1 at appropriate locations associated with the Monu2 ments Men, and that preference should be given to 

3 locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. 

4 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

5 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

6 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 

7 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 

8 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 

9 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 

10 and the cost of the gold medal. 

11 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

12 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu13 ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 

14 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

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

16 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 

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

Æ 


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