IA
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. J. RES. 100
Authorizing special awards to World War I and World War II veterans
of the United States Navy Armed Guard.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 20, 2002
Mr. LARSEN of Washington introduced the following joint resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
JOINT RESOLUTION
Authorizing special awards to World War I and World War
II veterans of the United States Navy Armed Guard.
Whereas the members of the United States Navy Armed
Guard sailed the oceans and seas on merchant ships dur-
ing World War I and World War II to protect important
cargo from capture or destruction by the enemy;
Whereas naval officers, gunners, radiomen, medics, and ra-
darmen serving on American merchant ships comprised
the United States Navy Armed Guard, a force that grew
to 144,970 personnel during World War II;
Whereas the mariners who served in the United States Navy
Armed Guard fought bravely, often under heavy fire, and
many even as the decks of their ships were awash and
sinking beneath the ocean waves;
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Whereas, of the 6,236 merchant ships (including the 2,710
famous Liberty Ships) on which detachments of the
United States Navy Armed Guard served during World
War I, 720 ships (including 216 Liberty Ships) were
sunk, and many more were damaged by enemy action;
Whereas approximately 1,810 members of the United States
Navy Armed Guard died and many more were wounded
in the service of their country in World War II, a cas-
ualty rate that grimly rivals the casualty rate of any
other defined force of the Armed Forces during World
War II;
Whereas, on April 4, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
issued a proclamation, ‘‘with each Commander in Chief
to follow doing the same’’, designating May 22, 1945, as
National Maritime Day in honor of those who sailed the
oceans and seas transporting supplies of every sort to
both the peaceful and war-torn nations of the world;
Whereas the nations of the world owe their freedom, in part,
to the sacrifices of the members of the United States
Navy Armed Guard, and many of those nations have
awarded special medals to veterans of the United States
Navy Armed Guard in recognition of their heroic actions;
Whereas the United States Government has failed to follow
the lead of those nations in recognizing the members of
the United States Navy Armed Guard with a special
medal that honors them as the American heroes that they
are;
Whereas the United States Government has recognized the
military character of the service in the United States
Navy Armed Guard by awarding each member that
served during World War II at least 1 of the 3 World
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War II campaign medals for service in the American
Theater, the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, and the Europe-Af-
rica-Middle East Theater;
Whereas the mariners who served in the United States Navy
Armed Guard aboard United States cargo ships during
World War I were equally dedicated, intrepid, and heroic,
and are equally deserving of recognition with a special
medal; and
Whereas the United States has not adequately recognized the
heroism and sacrifices of the members of the United
States Navy Armed Guard during World War I and
World War II: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AWARDS FOR MEMBERS OF THE UNITED
STATES NAVY ARMED GUARD.
The President is authorized and urged to award—
(1) to each person who served at sea as a mem-
ber of the United States Navy Armed Guard during
World War I or World War II, a special medal of
a design appropriate for recognizing service in the
United States Navy Armed Guard as service in a
special force of the United States Navy, together
with accompanying ribbons and appurtenances and a
Presidential Unit Citation; and
(2) to each person who served exclusively on
shore duty as a member of the United States Navy
Armed Guard during World War I or World War II,
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a special pin or badge of a design appropriate for
recognizing service in the United States Navy Armed
Guard as service in a military organization of the
United States Navy.
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