II 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3658 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 20, 2014 
Received 
AN ACT 
To grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the 
Monuments Men, in recognition of their heroic role in 
the preservation, protection, and restitution of monu-
ments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance 
during and following World War II. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Monuments Men Rec-
ognition Act of 2014’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) On June 23, 1943, President Franklin D. 
Roosevelt formed the ‘‘American Commission for the 
Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic 
Monuments in War Areas’’. 
(2) The Commission established the Monu-
ments, Fine Arts, and Archives (‘‘MFAA’’) Section 
under the Allied Armies. 
(3) The men and women serving in the MFAA 
Section were referred to as the ‘‘Monuments Men’’. 
(4) These individuals had expertise as museum 
directors, curators, art historians, artists, architects, 
and educators. 
(5) In December 1943, General Dwight D. Ei-
senhower empowered the Monuments Men by issuing 
orders to all commanders that stated they must re-
spect monuments ‘‘so far as war allows’’. 
(6) Initially the Monuments Men were intended 
to protect and temporarily repair the monuments, 
churches, and cathedrals of Europe suffering dam-
age due to combat. 
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(7) Hitler and the Nazis engaged in a pre-medi-
tated, mass theft of art and stored priceless works 
in thousands of art repositories throughout Europe. 
(8) The Monuments Men adapted their mission 
to identify, preserve, catalogue, and repatriate al-
most 5,000,000 artistic and cultural items which 
they discovered. 
(9) This magnitude of cultural preservation was 
unprecedented during a time of conflict. 
(10) The Monuments Men grew to no more 
than 350 individuals and joined front line military 
forces; two Monuments Men lost their lives in action. 
(11) Following the Allied victory, the Monu-
ments Men remained abroad to rebuild cultural life 
in Europe through organizing art exhibitions and 
concerts. 
(12) Many of the Monuments Men became re-
nowned directors and curators of preeminent inter-
national cultural institutions, professors at institu-
tions of higher education, and founders of artistic 
associations both before and after the war. 
(13) The Monuments Men Foundation for the 
Preservation of Art was founded in 2007 to honor 
the legacy of the men and women who served as 
Monuments Men. 
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(14) There are only five surviving members of 
the Monuments Men as of December 2013. 
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 the Congress, of a gold 
medal of appropriate design in commemoration to Monu-
ments Men, in recognition of their heroic role in the pres-
ervation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works 
of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and fol-
lowing World War II. 
(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 the Monuments Men, the 
gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Insti-
tution, where it will be available for display as ap-
propriate and available for research. 
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(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 the Monu-
ments Men, and that preference should be given to 
locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. 
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 
bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 
under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 
a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 
and the cost of the gold medal. 
SEC. 5. STATUS OF 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. 
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(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. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 19, 2014. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
By ROBERT F. REEVES, 
Deputy Clerk. 
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