I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5521 
To authorize the President to posthumously award the Medal of Honor 
to Marcelino Serna for acts of valor as a private in the Army during 
World War I. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 
Ms. ESCOBAR (for herself, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, and Mr. VARGAS) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To authorize the President to posthumously award the Medal 
of Honor to Marcelino Serna for acts of valor as a 
private in the Army during World War I. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Military service is one of the most admired 
and respected vocations any one can embark upon 
knowing that their commitment is to something far 
greater than oneself, and we value such military 
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service because it is dedicated to upholding, defend-
ing, and preserving the constitution. 
(2) While historically many were drafted into 
service before the military became an all-volunteer 
service in 1973, there were still individuals who vol-
unteered to serve without being drafted, and people 
of all walks of life, including new immigrants, have 
sought to demonstrate their love, commitment, and 
loyalty to this country by volunteering their lives to 
service. 
(3) Private Marcelino Serna was one such im-
migrant seeking to demonstrate his love, commit-
ment, and loyalty to his country; born in Chihuahua, 
Mexico, Private Serna is part of a legacy of immi-
grant soldiers fighting for the United States, eager 
to pursue the American Dream; in 1917, without 
hesitation, he volunteered to serve in the U.S. 
Armed Forces against Germany at the age of 20. 
(4) Private Serna was placed in the 355th In-
fantry of the 89th Division, and upon his arrival in 
France, when it was discovered that he was not a 
U.S. citizen, he was given the option to return home, 
however, Private Serna made the valiant decision to 
serve the United States, his adoptive home. 
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(5) In recognition of his courageous actions, 
Private Serna became the most decorated World 
War I veteran in Texas, with awards from the 
United States, France, Italy and the United King-
dom, which include: the World War I Victory Medal, 
two Purple Hearts, the French Medaille Militaire, 
two French Croix de Guerre, a French Medaille 
commemorative, the British War Medal, the Italian 
Croce al Merito di Guerra, the French Verdun, and 
the St. Mihiel Medals, as well as being posthumously 
awarded Texas’ Lone Star Medal of Valor in 2016. 
(6) The aforementioned awards recognize Pri-
vate Serna’s demonstrated bravery and remarkable 
service to his country in World War I, during which 
time, as detailed in the military’s official citation for 
his receipt of the Distinguished Service Cross and in 
the Texas Handbook Online, Private Serna single-
handedly fought, killed, and captured enemy fighters 
in the French theater. 
(7) White contemporaries of Private Serna who 
engaged in similar courageous acts during World 
War I have been rightfully recognized for their valor 
with the Medal of Honor; however Private Serna was 
reportedly passed over for the Medal of Honor be-
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cause he did not know enough English to be pro-
moted. 
(8) On May 7, 2021, recognizing that acts of 
valor performed by minority service members like 
Private Serna have gone unrecognized, a bipartisan 
Texas State House and Senate Committee voted to 
unanimously award Private Serna the Texas Legisla-
tive Medal of Honor. 
(9) For his conspicuous gallantry, unwavering 
commitment, and heroic actions above and beyond 
the call of duty to the United States of America, 
Private Marcelino Serna has long earned the Medal 
of Honor, an award that would allow his descend-
ants, fellow Texans, and Americans everywhere to 
recognize his heroic deeds. 
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF 
HONOR TO MARCELINO SERNA FOR ACTS OF 
VALOR DURING WORLD WAR I. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—Notwithstanding the time lim-
itations specified in section 7274 of title 10, United States 
Code, or any other time limitation with respect to the 
awarding of certain medals to persons who served in the 
Armed Forces, the President may posthumously award the 
Medal of Honor under section 7272 of such title to 
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Marcelino Serna for the acts of valor described in the sub-
section (b). 
(b) ACTS OF VALOR DESCRIBED.—The acts of valor 
described in this subsection are the actions of Marcelino 
Serna as a private in the Army during World War I, for 
which he was previously awarded the Distinguished-Serv-
ice Cross. 
Æ 
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