113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 381 

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, 
2 

†S 381 ES

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 
3 

†S 381 ES

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) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The President 

21 pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House 

22 of Representatives shall make appropriate arrangements 

23 for the award, on behalf of Congress, of 6 gold medals 

24 of appropriate design in honor of the World War II mem25 bers of the 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) who be-
4 

†S 381 ES

1 came known as the ‘‘Doolittle Tokyo Raiders’’, in recogni2 tion of their military service during World War II. 

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

4 award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 

5 Treasury shall strike the gold medals with suitable em6 blems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 

7 Secretary. 

8 (c) FOLLOWING AWARD OF MEDALS.— 

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

10 gold medals referred to in subsection (a), 5 of the 

11 gold medals shall be given to the 5 surviving mem12 bers of the mission as of February 2013 or their 

13 next of kin, with a sixth medal to be given to the 

14 National Museum of the United States Air Force, 

15 where it shall be displayed with the Doolittle Tokyo 

16 Raiders Goblets, as appropriate, and made available 

17 for research. 

18 (2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 

19 Congress that the National Museum of the United 

20 States Air Force should make the gold medal re21 ceived under paragraph (1) available for display else22 where, particularly at other locations and events as23 sociated with the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders. 
5 

†S 381 ES

1 SEC. 3. DUPLICATIVE MEDALS. 

2 Under such regulations as the Secretary may pre3 scribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

4 bronze of the gold medal struck under this Act, at a price 

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

6 materials, dyes, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 

7 SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

8 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck pursuant to 

9 this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 

10 of title 31, United States Code. 

11 (b) NUMISMATIC MEDALS.—For purposes of sections 

12 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals 

13 struck under this Act are numismatic items. 

Passed the Senate November 19, 2013. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 381 

AN ACT 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World 

bombings of Tokyo. service to the United States in conducting the ers’’, for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and War II members of the ‘‘Doolittle Tokyo Raid-