I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1889 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the members of Escuadro´n 201. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2019 
Ms. SA´NCHEZ (for herself, Mr. SOTO, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mrs. TORRES of Cali-
fornia, Ms. ESCOBAR, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, and 
Mrs. NAPOLITANO) 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 award a Congressional Gold Medal to the members of 
Escuadro´n 201. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Escuadro´n 201 Con-
gressional Gold Medal Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Escuadro´n 201, or the 201st Squadron, of 
the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force fought along-
side United States forces in the South Pacific during 
World War II. 
(2) Nicknamed the Aztec Eagles, Escuadro´n 
201 integrated with United States forces including 
the U.S. 5th Air Force and the 58th Fighter Group 
to provide close air support for American and Phil-
ippine ground forces as well as long range strikes 
using Republic P–47D Thunderbolt fighter aircraft. 
(3) Following Mexico’s declaration of war on 
Japan, Germany, and Italy on May 28, 1942, Mex-
ico entered into agreements with the United States 
to collaborate through the reciprocal use of airfields 
and facilities and the training of Mexican personnel 
by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). 
(4) With the assistance of USAAF, Mexican 
Expeditionary Air Force pilots were trained in Gua-
dalajara, Mexico and later moved to USAAF schools 
in the United States for additional individual and 
unit training. 
(5) In July 1944, 36 pilots and 264 support 
personnel formed Escuadro´n 201, Mexico’s first 
squadron that would be deployed overseas to fight 
alongside United States forces. 
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(6) In February 1945, Escuadro´n 201 and the 
headquarters of the Mexican Expeditionary Air 
Force moved to the Philippine Islands and began 
combat operations with the 58th Fighter Group in 
Porac, Luzon. 
(7) Deployed to Okinawa in July 1945, 
Escuadro´n 201 provided close in ground support for 
the U.S. 25th ‘‘Tropic Lightning’’ Division and Phil-
ippine Army units as well as long-range strikes into 
Japanese-held territory in Taiwan. 
(8) Mexico was prepared to send additional 
squadrons to fight with Allied forces had Japan not 
offered its unconditional surrender following the at-
tacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 
(9) Seven Escuadro´n 201 pilots lost their lives 
fighting Axis forces. 
(10) During its 795 combat sorties and 2,000 
hours of combat flying, Escuadro´n 201 exemplified 
valor and was indispensable to the war effort and an 
Allied victory. 
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 
the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tem-
pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 
for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a single 
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gold medal of appropriate design to the members of 
Escuadro´n 201. 
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the 
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 
of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall strike a 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 Escuadro´n 201, the gold 
medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, 
where it shall be available for display as appropriate 
and available for research. 
(2) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense 
of the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution 
should make the gold medal awarded pursuant to 
this Act available for display elsewhere, particularly 
at appropriate locations associated with Escuadro´n 
201, and that preference should be given to locations 
affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. 
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 
Under such regulations as the Secretary may pre-
scribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 
bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price 
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sufficient to cover the costs of the medals, including labor, 
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS. 
(a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu-
ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 
51 of title 31, United States Code. 
(b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 
5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 
under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 
Æ 
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