761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act
Bill: H.R.6788 | Sponsor: Rep. Palmer, Gary J. (R-AL)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act
This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 761st Tank Battalion in recognition of their role in the success of Allied forces in Europe during World War II and for the example they set as the first Black soldiers to go to war as part of an American armored unit.
Following the award of the gold medal, the gold medal shall be given to the National Museum of African American History and Culture where it shall be available for display and research.

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 761st Tank Battalion, 
 collectively, in recognition of their crucial role in the success of 
Allied forces in Europe and for the example they set as the first Black 
       soldiers to go to war as part of an American armored unit.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``761st Tank Battalion Congressional 
Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The 761st Tank Battalion, known as the ``Black 
        Panthers'', was activated on April 1, 1942, and served as the 
        first predominantly Black American armored battalion in the 
        European Theater of World War II until its deactivation on June 
        1, 1946, in Germany.
            (2) Lieutenant Jackie Robinson, the first Black Major 
        League baseball player, was among the few Black officers in the 
        761st, but he was court martialed before seeing combat for an 
        act of civil disobedience in refusing to move to the back of a 
        bus.
            (3) Despite resistance from many top-level American 
        politicians and military officers, the 761st served valiantly 
        under Lieutenant General George S. Patton.
            (4) In his welcoming speech, Patton said, ``I would never 
        have asked for you if you weren't good. I have nothing but the 
        best in my Army. I don't care what color you are as long as you 
        go up there and kill those. . .''.
            (5) After entering combat in late fall 1944, the 761st 
        lived up to their motto, ``Come Out Fighting'', enduring 183 
        days of combat without being pulled from the line.
            (6) The 761st played a crucial role in numerous battles 
        including the Battle of the Bulge and helped break out the 
        encircled American paratroopers in the town of Bastogne.
            (7) During their time in combat, the 761st inflicted 
        130,000 casualties on the Germans while enduring a casualty 
        rate of almost 50 percent with the loss of 71 tanks.
            (8) As the spearhead for several of Patton's moves toward 
        Germany, they were the first American unit to break through the 
        Siegfried Line and they were one of the first American units to 
        link up with the Russian Army at the Enns River at Steyr, 
        Austria.
            (9) Sadly, like other Black soldiers in World War II, 
        members of the 761st did not receive the recognition that was 
        due them upon returning home, and instead faced prejudice at 
        home after the war.
            (10) The accomplishments of the 761st were largely 
        unrecognized until 1978 when, over three decades after the war, 
        the battalion finally received a Presidential Unit Citation.
            (11) The citation acknowledges ``the extraordinary 
        gallantry, courage, professionalism, and high esprit de corps 
        displayed in the accomplishment of unusually difficult and 
        hazardous operations in the European Theater of Operations''.
            (12) In addition to that citation, individual members of 
        the 761st had earned the following: 1 Medal of Honor, 11 Silver 
        Stars, and approximately 300 Purple Hearts.
            (13) The United States is eternally grateful to the 
        soldiers of the 761st Tank Battalion for their crucial role in 
        the success of Allied forces in Europe and for helping ensure 
        freedom around the globe.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, 
of a gold medal of appropriate design to the 761st Tank Battalion, 
collectively, in recognition of their crucial role in the success of 
Allied forces in Europe and for the example they set as the first Black 
soldiers to go to war as part of an American armored unit.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the presentation 
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter 
in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal 
with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by 
the Secretary.
    (c) National Museum of African American History and Culture.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal 
        under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 
        National Museum of African American History and Culture, where 
        the medal shall be available for display as appropriate and 
        available for research.
            (2) Sense of the congress.--It is the sense of Congress 
        that the National Museum of African American History and 
        Culture should make the gold medal received under paragraph (1) 
        available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate 
        locations associated with the 761st Tank Battalion.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the 
cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant 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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