I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5639
To authorize the payment of a gratuity to certain members of the Armed
Forces who served at Bataan and Corregidor during World War II,
or the surviving spouses of such members, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DECEMBER 4, 2000
Mr. MINGE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To authorize the payment of a gratuity to certain members
of the Armed Forces who served at Bataan and Cor-
regidor during World War II, or the surviving spouses
of such members, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO PAY GRATUITY TO CERTAIN
VETERANS OF BATAAN AND CORREGIDOR.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings:
(1) From December 1941 to April 1942, mem-
bers of the Armed Forces fought valiantly against
overwhelming Japanese military forces on the Ba-
taan peninsula in the Philippines, thereby preventing
Japan from accomplishing strategic objectives nec-
essary for early military victory in the Pacific during
World War II.
(2) After receiving orders to surrender on April
9, 1942, many such members were taken prisoner of
war by Japan and forced to march 85 miles from
the Bataan peninsula to a prisoner of war camp at
former Camp O’Donnell. That march resulted in
more than 10,000 deaths by reason of starvation,
disease, and executions.
(3) In June 1942, the United States personnel
at former Camp O’Donnell were joined with mem-
bers of the Armed Forces who had been captured at
Corregidor in the Philippines and transferred to the
Cabanatuan prisoner of war camp where many were
held through the remainder of World War II.
(4) In autumn 1944, Japanese authorities or-
dered more than 1,600 United States personnel who
were prisoners of war at the Cabanatuan camp to
provide slave labor in support of the war effort in
Japan.
(5) Many of the United States personnel who
were prisoners of war were transferred to Japan on
unmarked vessels, some of which were attacked and
sunk by United States military aircraft.
(6) Units of the Armed Forces which served at
Bataan have received numerous citations, including
3 Presidential Unit Citations and the Philippine
Presidential Unit Citation for heroism, but repara-
tions to individual members of the Armed Forces
who were taken prisoner of war at Bataan were lim-
ited by a treaty governing the postwar reparations
for which the Government of Japan was liable.
(7) The amount of reparations paid to members
of the Armed Forces held as prisoner of war by
Japan during World War II were based on time
served as prisoner of war, but did not take into ac-
count slave labor performed while prisoner of war.
(8) The Government of Japan has concluded
through judicial proceedings that liability for com-
pensation payments expired in 1952.
(9) The Government of Canada authorized the
payment of compensation to veterans of the armed
forces of Canada who performed slave labor during
World War II but were not paid compensation for
the performance of such labor after the war.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to rec-
ognize the heroic contributions of the members of the
Armed Forces who served in the Philippines at Bataan
and Corregidor during World War II, were required to
perform slave labor by the Government of Japan to sup-
port the war effort of Japan during that war, and have
not been fully compensated for their contributions to and
sacrifices for United States victory in that war.
(c) PAYMENT OF GRATUITY AUTHORIZED.—The Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs may pay a gratuity to a covered
veteran, or to the surviving spouse of a covered veteran,
in the amount of $20,000.
(d) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—For purposes of
this section, the term ‘‘covered veteran’’ means any vet-
eran of the Armed Forces who—
(1) served at Bataan or Corregidor in the Phil-
ippines during World War II;
(2) was captured and held as a prisoner of war
by Japan as a result of such service; and
(3) was required by Japan to perform slave
labor in Japan during World War II.
(e) RELATIONSHIP
TO OTHER PAYMENTS.—Any
amount paid a person under this section for activity de-
scribed in subsection (d) is in addition to any other
amount paid such person for such activity under any other
provision of law.
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