I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5315 
To grant the Congressional Gold Medal to a group of soldiers from World 
War II. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 7, 2008 
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico 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 with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To grant the Congressional Gold Medal to a group of soldiers 
from World War II. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) In April 1942, nearly 12,000 American sol-
diers and 67,000 Filipino soldiers based at Bataan, 
Philippines, bravely and staunchly fought off enemy 
attacks for more than 4 months while under stren-
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uous conditions that resulted in starvation and dis-
ease. 
(2) By maintaining their position and engaging 
the enemy for as long as they did, the soldiers at 
Bataan were able to redefine the momentum of the 
war and provide other United States and Allied 
forces throughout the Pacific with time to plan and 
prepare for subsequent, crucial battles. 
(3) On April 9, 1942, Maj. General Edward 
King surrendered these troops into enemy hands. 
(4) Over the next week, these prisoners were 
forced to march 65 miles without any food, water or 
medical care in what came to be know as the Bataan 
Death March. 
(5) During this forced march, thousands of sol-
diers died, either from starvation, lack of medical 
care, sheer exhaustion, or from abuse by their cap-
tors. 
(6) Within the first 40 days at Camp 
O’Donnell, 1,600 more American prisoners died. 
(7) The conditions at the camp were sub-
standard, leading to increased disease and malnutri-
tion among the prisoners. 
(8) On June 6, 1942, the American prisoners 
were transferred to Cabanatuan, north of Camp 
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O’Donnell. In July, all Filipino prisoners were pa-
roled. 
(9) These prisoners suffered from continued 
mistreatment, malnutrition, lack of medical care, 
and horrific conditions. 
(10) The prisoners who remained in these 
camps were liberated in 1945 and returned home. 
(11) Over the subsequent decades, these pris-
oners formed support groups, were honored in local 
and State memorials, and told their story to all 
Americans. 
(12) Many of these soldiers have now passed 
away, and those who remain continue to tell their 
story. 
(13) The United States is forever indebted to 
these men for the courage they demonstrated during 
the first 4 months of World War II in fighting 
against enemy soldiers, and for the perseverance 
they sustained during 3 years of capture, imprison-
ment, and atrocious conditions while maintaining 
dignity, honor, patriotism, and loyalty. 
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 
(a) AWARD
AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the 
House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 
of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the 
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award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold medal 
of appropriate design in honor of American soldiers who 
were prisoners of war at Bataan, collectively, in recogni-
tion of their personal sacrifice and service to their country. 
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the 
award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 
Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, 
devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec-
retary. 
(c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the 
gold medal in honor of the prisoners of war at Ba-
taan under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be 
given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be 
displayed as appropriate and made available for re-
search. 
(2) SENSE.—It is the sense of the Congress 
that the Smithsonian Institution should make the 
gold medal received under paragraph (1) available 
for display elsewhere, particularly at other appro-
priate locations associated with the prisoners of war 
at Bataan. 
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