I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3700 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Louis Zamperini, U.S. Olympian 
and World War II prisoner of war, for his service to the country, 
sacrifice during the war, and his inspiration to others through his courage 
as a survivor. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 16, 2011 
Mr. MCCAUL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Louis Zamperini, 
U.S. Olympian and World War II prisoner of war, for 
his service to the country, sacrifice during the war, and 
his inspiration to others through his courage as a sur-
vivor. 
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 ‘‘Louis Zamperini Con-
gressional Gold Medal Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Louis Zamperini was born in Olean, New 
York, on January 26, 1917, and was raised in Tor-
rance, California. 
(2) Louis Zamperini attended the University of 
Southern California where, in 1934, he set a world 
interscholastic record for the mile, clocking in at 
00:04:21.2 at the preliminary meet to the State 
championships. 
(3) Louis Zamperini ran the 5,000 meter dis-
tance event in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, 
Germany, the fastest time for an American in the 
5,000 distance race that year. 
(4) Selflessly, Louis Zamperini left a promising 
career as an Olympic athlete and enlisted in the 
United States Army Air Corps in September 1941. 
(5) While on a rescue mission in 1943, 
Zamperini along with Russel Allen ‘‘Phil’’ Philips 
and Francis McNamara of the 42nd Bombardment 
Squadron, 11th Bombardment Group survived a 
deadly crash of their B–24 bomber, named Green 
Hornet. 
(6) Zamperini survived 47 days at sea, drifting 
approximately 2,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean 
only to wash ashore on the Marshall Islands, where 
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he and Phillips were taken prisoner of war by the 
Japanese military. 
(7) For over two years, Zamperini endured the 
horrific conditions of his captivity in several Japa-
nese P.O.W. camps, where he was singled out by 
guards for extreme forms of torture because of his 
celebrity status as an Olympic athlete. 
(8) Though the War Department notified his 
family that Zamperini was killed in action, 
Zamperini survived his captivity and returned home 
upon the liberation of Japan. 
(9) For his distinguished service during World 
War II, Captain Zamperini was awarded the Purple 
Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and a Pris-
oner of War Medal. 
(10) Louis Zamperini overcame severe post 
traumatic stress disorder from his time as a prisoner 
of war to dedicate his life to inspiring others and 
being an example for other soldiers to follow. 
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 to Louis Zamperini, in rec-
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ognition of his service to the country, sacrifice during the 
war, and his inspiration to others through his courage as 
a survivor. 
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purpose of the 
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 
of the Treasury shall strike a gold medal with suitable em-
blems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the 
Secretary. 
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 
Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treas-
ury may prescribe, the Secretary may strike duplicate 
medals in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to 
section 3 and sell such duplicate medals at a price suffi-
cient to cover the costs of the duplicate medals (including 
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead ex-
penses) and the cost of the gold medal. 
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. 
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SEC. 6. FUNDING. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF CHARGES.—There is author-
ized to be charged against the United States Mint Public 
Enterprise Fund an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay 
for the cost of the medals authorized by this Act. 
(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 
sale of duplicate bronze medals under section 4 shall be 
deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise 
Fund. 
Æ 
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