I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4745 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the recipients of assistance 

under the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (commonly referred 

to as the ‘‘GI Bill of Rights’’) in recognition of the great contributions 

such recipients made to the Nation in both their military and civilian 

service and the contributions of Harry W. Colmery in initiating actions 

which led to the enactment of that Act, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 3, 2010 

Mr. MOORE of Kansas (for himself, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. PETERS, 

Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mr. MEEKS of New 

York, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. PIERLUISI, Mr. JONES, Mr. 

THOMPSON of California, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. BARROW, 

Mr. SKELTON, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. JENKINS, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. 

FILNER) 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 in honor of the recipients of assistance under the Servicemen’s Readjustment 

Act of 1944 (commonly referred to as the ‘‘GI Bill 

of Rights’’) in recognition of the great contributions such 

recipients made to the Nation in both their military 

and civilian service and the contributions of Harry W. 

Colmery in initiating actions which led to the enactment 

of that Act, and for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘Achievements of the 

5 GI Bill Gold Medal Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) The life of Harry W. Colmery of Topeka, 

9 Kansas, was marked by exemplary service to his 

10 country. 

11 (2) Harry Colmery served the United States 

12 with distinction during World War I as a first lieu13 tenant and pilot instructor in the Army Air Corps. 

14 (3) Upon his return, Harry Colmery remained 

15 involved in issues important to the United States 

16 Armed Forces and veterans community through the 

17 American Legion, serving as the national com18 mander of the American Legion from 1936 to 1937. 

19 (4) In 1943, the United States faced an un20 precedented number of servicemen and women re21 turning from World War II to civilian life, more 

22 than 15,000,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Ma23 rines. 

24 (5) Harry Colmery, and others with the Amer25 ican Legion, helped spearhead efforts to ensure that 


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1 government programs were in place to ensure that 

2 these members of the United States Armed Forces 

3 would face an easy transition back to civilian life. 

4 (6) During a December 1943 emergency meet5 ing of American Legion leadership to address these 

6 concerns at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, 

7 DC, Harry Colmery crafted the initial draft of the 

8 Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known 

9 as the GI Bill of Rights. 

10 (7) This pioneering piece of legislation sought 

11 to help GIs buy homes, start businesses, and attend 

12 college or technical school upon their return from 

13 World War II. 

14 (8) Due to Harry Colmery’s advocacy, Presi15 dent Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the GI Bill of 

16 Rights into law on June 22, 1944. 

17 (9) In the decade following World War II, more 

18 than 2,000,000 eligible men and women went to col19 lege using the GI Bill of Rights, and another 

20 5,000,000 received other schooling or job training 

21 under the GI Bill. 

22 (10) From 1944 to 1952, the Veterans Admin23 istration backed nearly 2,400,000 home loans for 

24 World War II veterans due to the GI Bill of Rights. 


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1 (11) The GI Bill of Rights has been heralded 

2 as one of the most significant pieces of legislation 

3 ever produced by the Federal Government, one that 

4 has impacted the United States socially, economi5 cally, and politically. 

6 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

7 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

8 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem9 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

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

11 gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the recipients 

12 of assistance under the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 

13 1944 (commonly referred to as the ‘‘GI Bill of Rights’’), 

14 in recognition of the great contributions such recipients 

15 made to the Nation in both their military and civilian serv16 ice and the contributions of Harry W. Colmery in initi17 ating actions which led to the enactment of that Act. 

18 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the presen20 tation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of 

21 the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec22 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable em23 blems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by 

24 the Secretary. 


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1 (2) OBVERSE AND REVERSE.—The obverse of 

2 the gold medal shall bear the image of Harry W. 

3 Colmery and the reverse shall bear a design emblem4 atic of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 

5 and the achievements of the recipients of assistance 

6 under such Act. 

7 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

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

9 gold medal in honor of the recipients of assistance 

10 under the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 

11 under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given 

12 to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be avail13 able for display as appropriate and made available 

14 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 received under para18 graph (1) available for display elsewhere, particu19 larly at other appropriate locations selected by the 

20 Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of De21 fense, or the Secretary of Education. 

22 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

23 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

24 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 

25 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 


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

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

3 and the cost of the gold medal. 

4 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

5 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck under 

6 this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 

7 of title 31, United States Code. 

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

9 5134 of title 31, Unites States Code, all medals struck 

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

11 SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 

12 SALE. 

13 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 

14 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 

15 Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec16 essary to pay for the costs of the medals stuck pursuant 

17 to this Act. 

18 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 

19 sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 

20 3 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 

21 Enterprise Fund. 

Æ 


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