,,ic  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #baja  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of      
,,representatives  ,august #c1          
#bjah,referred to the ,committee on     
,financial ,services  ,,an ,,act  ,to   
award a ,congressional ,gold ,medal1    
collectively1 to the crew of the ,,uss  
,indianapolis1 in recognition of their  
perseverance1 bravery1 and service to   
the ,united ,states4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,,uss    
,indianapolis ,congressional ,gold      
,medal ,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress   
finds the following3  7#a7 ,the         
,portland-class heavy cruiser ,,uss     
,indianapolis received #aj battle stars 
between ,february #aidb and ,april #aide
 while participating in major battles of
 ,world ,war ,,ii from the ,aleutian    
,islands to ,okinawa4  7#b7 ,the ,,uss  
,indianapolis1 commanded by ,captain    
,charles ,butler ,mc,vay ,,iii1 carried 
#a1aie personnel when it set sail for   
the island of ,tinian on ,july #af1     
#aide1 to deliver components of the     

atomic bomb ,little ,boy4 ,the ,,uss    
,indianapolis set a speed record during 
the portion of the trip from ,california
 to ,pearl ,harbor and successfully     
delivered the cargo on ,july #bf1 #aide4
 ,the ,,uss ,indianapolis then traveled 
to ,guam and received further orders to 
join ,task ,group #ie4g in the ,leyte   
,gulf in the ,philippines for training4 
,during the length of the trip1 the     
,,uss ,indianapolis went unescorted4    
7#c7 ,on ,july #cj1 #aide1 minutes after
 midnight1 the ,,uss ,indianapolis was  
hit by #b torpedoes fired by the ,i-#eh1
 a ,japanese submarine4 ,the resulting  
explosions severed the bow of the ship1 
sinking the ship in about #ab minutes4  
,of #a1aie personnel1 about #ijj made it
 into the water4 ,while a few life rafts
 were deployed1 most men were stranded  
in the water with only a kapok life     
jacket4  7#d7 ,at #aj3be a4m4 on ,august
 #b1 #aide1 #d days after the sinking of
 the ,,uss ,indianapolis1 ,lieutenant   
,wilbur ,gwinn was piloting a ,,pv-#a   

,ventura bomber and accidentally noticed
 men in the water who were later        
determined to be survivors of the       
sinking of the ,,uss ,indianapolis4     
,lieutenant ,gwinn alerted a ,,pby      
aircraft1 under the command of          
,lieutenant ,adrian ,marks1 about the   
disaster4 ,lieutenant ,marks made a     
dangerous open-sea landing to begin     
rescuing the men before any surface     
vessels arrived4 ,the ,,uss ,cecil ,j4  
,doyle was the first surface ship to    
arrive on the scene and took            
considerable risk in using a searchlight
 as a beacon1 which gave hope to        
survivors in the water and encouraged   
them to make it through another night4  
,the rescue mission continued well into 
,august #c1 #aide1 and was              
well-coordinated and responsive once    
launched4 ,the individuals who          
participated in the rescue mission      
conducted a thorough search1 saved      
lives1 and undertook the difficult job  
of identifying the remains of1 and      

providing a proper burial for1 those    
individuals who had died4  7#e7 ,only   
#caf men survived the ordeal and the    
survivors had to deal with severe burns1
 exposure to the elements1 extreme      
dehydration1 and shark attacks4  7#f7   
,during ,world ,war ,,ii1 the ,,uss     
,indianapolis frequently served as the  
flagship for the commander of the ,fifth
 ,fleet1 ,admiral ,raymond ,spruance1   
survived a bomb released during a       
kamikaze attack 7which badly damaged the
 ship and killed #i members of the      
crew71 earned a total of #aj battle     
stars1 and accomplished a top secret    
mission that was critical to ending the 
war4 ,the sacrifice1 perseverance1 and  
bravery of the crew of the ,,uss        
,indianapolis should never be forgotten4
  #c4 ,congressional gold medal  7a7    
,award authorized ,the ,speaker of the  
,house of ,representatives and the      
,president pro tempore of the ,senate   
shall make appropriate arrangements for 
the award1 on behalf of ,congress1 of a 

single gold medal of appropriate design 
to the crew of the ,,uss ,indianapolis1 
in recognition of their perseverance1   
bravery1 and service to the ,united     
,states4  7b7 ,design and striking ,for 
the purposes of the award referred to in
 subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of the  
,treasury 7referred to in this ,act as  
the ,secretary7 shall strike the gold   
medal with suitable emblems1 devices1   
and inscriptions1 to be determined by   
the ,secretary4  7c7 ,indiana ,war      
,memorial ,museum  7#a7 ,in general     
,following the award of the gold medal  
referred to in subsection 7a71 the gold 
medal shall be given to the ,indiana    
,war ,memorial ,museum in ,indianapolis1
 ,indiana1 where it will be displayed as
 appropriate and made available for     
research4  7#b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it 
is the sense of ,congress that the      
,indiana ,war ,memorial ,museum should  
make the gold medal received under this 
,act available for display elsewhere1   
particularly at other locations and     

events associated with the ,,uss        
,indianapolis4  #d4 ,duplicate medals   
,under such regulations as the          
,secretary may prescribe1 the ,secretary
 may strike and sell duplicates in      
bronze of the gold medal struck under   
section #c1 at a price sufficient to    
cover the costs of the medals1 including
 labor1 materials1 dies1 use of         
machinery1 and overhead expenses4  #e4  
,status of medals  7a7 ,national medals 
,medals struck under this ,act are      
national medals for purposes of chapter 
#ea of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4
  7b7 ,numismatic items ,for purposes of
 sections #eacd and #eacf of title #ca1 
,united ,states ,code1 all medals struck
 under this ,act shall be considered to 
be numismatic items4  ,passed the       
,senate ,august #a1 #bjah4;,julie ,e4   
,adams1,secretary