An act to award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the Chinese- American Veterans of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II
PL 115-337 (S.1050), enacted 12/20/2018

132 STAT. 5029 
PUBLIC LAW 115–337—DEC. 20, 2018 
Public Law 115–337 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the Chinese-American Veterans 
of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. 
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 ‘‘Chinese-American World War 
II Veteran Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) Chinese Americans served the United States in every 
conflict since the Civil War, and distinguished themselves in 
World War II, serving in every theater of war and every branch 
of service, earning citations for their heroism and honorable 
service, including the Medal of Honor; 
(2) Chinese nationals and Chinese Americans faced institu-
tional discrimination in the United States since before World 
War II, limiting the size of their population and their ability 
to build thriving communities in the United States; 
(3) the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to execute certain treaty stipu-
lations relating to Chinese’’, approved May 6, 1882 (commonly 
known as the ‘‘Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882’’) (22 Stat. 58, 
chapter 126), was the first Federal law that broadly restricted 
immigration and a specific nationality, making it illegal for 
Chinese laborers to immigrate to the United States and limiting 
the Chinese population in the United States for over 60 years; 
(4) major court decisions such as the decisions in Lum 
v. Rice, 275 U.S. 78 (1927), and People v. Hall, 4 Cal. 399 
(1854), found ‘‘yellow’’ races to be equal to African Americans 
with regard to ‘‘separate but equal’’ school facilities, and prohib-
ited Chinese Americans, along with ‘‘Black, mulatto, or Indian’’ 
persons, from testifying against White men; 
(5) Chinese Americans were harassed, beaten, and mur-
dered because of their ethnicity, including the Chinese Mas-
sacre of 1871, where 17 Chinese immigrants in Los Angeles, 
California, were tortured and murdered, the Rock Springs Mas-
sacre of 1885 where White rioters killed 28 Chinese miners 
and burned 75 of their homes in Rock Springs, Wyoming, 
and the Hells Canyon Massacre of 1887 where 34 Chinese 
gold miners were ambushed and murdered in Hells Canyon, 
Oregon; 
(6) there were only 78,000 Chinese Americans living on 
the United States mainland, with 29,000 living in Hawaii, 
31 USC 5111 
note. 
Chinese- 
American World 
War II Veteran 
Congressional 
Gold Medal Act. 
Dec. 20, 2018 
[S. 1050] 
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132 STAT. 5030 
PUBLIC LAW 115–337—DEC. 20, 2018 
at the start of World War II as result of Federal and State 
legislation and judicial decisions; 
(7) despite the anti-Chinese discrimination at the time, 
as many as 20,000 Chinese Americans served in the Armed 
Forces during World War II, of whom, approximately 40 percent 
were not United States citizens due to the laws that denied 
citizenship to persons of Chinese descent; 
(8) Chinese Americans, although small in numbers, made 
important contributions to the World War II effort; 
(9) of the total Chinese Americans serving, approximately 
25 percent served in the United States Army Air Force, with 
some sent to the China-Burma-India Theater with the 14th 
Air Service Group; 
(10) the remainder of Chinese Americans who served in 
World War II served in all branches of the Armed Forces 
in all 4 theaters of war; 
(11) the first all Chinese-American group was the 14th 
Air Service Group in the China-Burma-India Theater which 
enabled extensive and effective operations against the Japanese 
military in China; 
(12) Chinese Americans are widely acknowledged for their 
role in the 14th Air Force, widely known as the Flying Tigers; 
(13) Chinese Americans assigned to the China-Burma-India 
Theater made transoceanic journeys through hostile territories 
and were subject to enemy attack while at sea and in the 
air; 
(14) in the Pacific Theater, Chinese Americans were in 
ground, air, and ocean combat and support roles throughout 
the Pacific including New Guinea, Guadalcanal, Solomon 
Islands, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Philippines, Mariana Islands, and 
Aleutian Islands; 
(15) throughout the Pacific and China-Burma-India thea-
ters, Chinese Americans performed vital functions in trans-
lating, coordinating Nationalist Chinese and United States com-
bat operations, servicing and repairing aircraft and armaments, 
training Nationalist Chinese troops and sailors, delivering med-
ical care, providing signal and communication support, gath-
ering and analyzing intelligence, participating in ground and 
air combat, and securing and delivering supplies; 
(16) Chinese Americans also served in combat and support 
roles in the European and African theaters, serving in North 
Africa, Sicily, Italy, the Normandy D–Day invasion, which liber-
ated Western Europe, and the Battle of the Bulge, occupying 
Western Germany while helping to liberate Central Europe; 
(17) Chinese Americans flew bomber missions, served in 
infantry units and combat ships in the Battle of the Atlantic, 
including aboard Merchant Marines convoys vulnerable to sub-
marine and air attacks; 
(18) many Chinese-American women served in the Women’s 
Army Corps, the Army Air Forces, and the United States Naval 
Reserve Women’s Reserve, and some became pilots, air traffic 
controllers, flight trainers, weather forecasters, occupational 
therapists, and nurses; 
(19) Captain Francis B. Wai is the only Chinese American 
who served in World War II to have been awarded the Medal 
of Honor, the highest military award given by the United 
States 
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132 STAT. 5031 
PUBLIC LAW 115–337—DEC. 20, 2018 
(20) Chinese Americans also earned Combat Infantry 
Badges, Purple Hearts, Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Distin-
guished Service Cross, and Distinguished Flying Cross; 
(21) units of the Armed Forces with Chinese Americans 
were also awarded unit citations for valor and bravery; 
(22) the United States remains forever indebted to the 
bravery, valor, and dedication that the Chinese-American Vet-
erans of World War II displayed; and 
(23) the commitment and sacrifice of Chinese Americans 
demonstrates a highly uncommon and commendable sense of 
patriotism and honor in the face of discrimination. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘Chinese-American Veterans of World II’’ 
includes individuals of Chinese ancestry who served— 
(A) honorably at any time during the period December 
7, 1941, and ending December 31, 1946; and 
(B) in an active duty status under the command of 
the Armed Forces; and 
(2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the 
Treasury. 
SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 
(a) AWARD AUTHORIZED.—The President Pro Tempore of the 
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall 
make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Con-
gress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design to the Chinese- 
American Veterans of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated 
service during World War II. 
(b) DESIGN
AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the award 
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary shall strike the gold 
medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be deter-
mined by the Secretary. 
(c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the gold medal 
in honor of the Chinese-American Veterans of World War II, 
the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, 
where it shall be available for display as appropriate and made 
available for research. 
(2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that 
the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal 
received under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, 
particularly at other locations associated with the Chinese- 
American Veterans of World II or with World War II. 
(d) DUPLICATE MEDALS.—Under regulations that the Secretary 
may promulgate, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 
bronze of the gold medal struck under this Act, at a price sufficient 
to cover the cost of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, 
use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDAL. 
(a) NATIONAL MEDAL.—The gold medal struck under this Act 
shall be a national medal for the purposes of chapter 51 of title 
31, Unites States Code. 
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132 STAT. 5032 
PUBLIC LAW 115–337—DEC. 20, 2018 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1050: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018): 
Sept. 12, considered and passed Senate. 
Dec. 12, considered and passed House. 
(b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purpose of section 5134 of title 
31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall 
be considered to be numismatic items. 
Approved December 20, 2018. 
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