,i #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ieic ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,december #ae1 #bjbb,mr4 ,panetta introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,financial ,services ,a ,,bill ,to award a ,congressional ,gold ,medal to ,everett ,alvarez1 ,jr41 in recognition of his service to the ,nation4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,everett ,alvarez1 ,jr41 ,congressional ,gold ,medal ,act of #bjbb4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,commander 7,,cdr7 ,everett ,alvarez1 ,jr41 served with distinction in the ,vietnam war and made historic sacrifices for the ,united ,states as the first ,united ,states pilot to be shot down and captured during the ,vietnam war and the second-longest prisoner of war in ,united ,states history1 surviving over eight-and-a-half years in captivity4 7#b7 ,,cdr ,alvarez was born in ,salinas1 ,california1 in #aicg1 and was the grandchild of ,mexican immigrants4 7#c7 ,,cdr ,alvarez attended ,salinas ,union ,high ,school and ,hartnell ,college and received a bachelor of science degree from ,santa ,clara ,university4 7#d7 ,in #aifj1 ,,cdr ,alvarez joined the ,united ,states ,navy and was commissioned as ,ensign4 7#e7 ,after receiving his commission1 ,,cdr ,alvarez attended flight training at the ,naval ,air ,basic ,training ,command in ,pensacola1 ,florida4 7#f7 ,in ,june #aifa1 ,,cdr ,alvarez was transferred to the ,naval ,auxiliary ,air ,station in ,kingsville1 ,texas1 where he trained until ,december #aifa4 7#g7 ,,cdr ,alvarez was promoted to ,lieutenant 7junior grade7 in ,april #aifb4 7#h7 ,in ,june #aifb1 ,,cdr ,alvarez joined ,attack ,squadron #add1 nicknamed the ,roadrunners1 which was deployed to the ,gulf of ,tonkin prior to the ,united ,states entrance in the ,vietnam war in ,august #aifd4 7#i7 ,on ,august #e1 #aifd1 while flying ,operation ,pierce ,arrow from the ,,uss ,constellation near the ,vietnam-,china border1 ,,cdr ,alvarez's ,a-#d ,skyhawk was shot down and he was captured by a ,vietnamese fishing vessel4 7#aj7 ,upon capture1 ,,cdr ,alvarez was taken to the ,ha ,l ,prison in ,hanoi1 known to many former prisoners as the ,hanoi ,hilton4 7#aa7 ,,cdr ,alvarez spent his first thirteen months1 eight days1 and five hours in isolation4 7#ab7 ,while at ,ha ,l1 ,,cdr ,alvarez was repeatedly beaten and tortured and was fed inedible meals and suffered malnourishment4 7#ac7 ,in ,september #aife1 ,,cdr ,alvarez was moved to the ,briarpatch1 a prison camp west of ,hanoi1 with no electricity or running water4 7#ad7 ,despite torture and interrogation1 ,,cdr ,alvarez remained loyal to the ,united ,states and assisted other ,american prisoners of war4 7#ae7 ,,cdr ,alvarez1 with his own actions1 encouraged and inspired fellow prisoners of war to ,return with ,honor1 which meant keeping their integrity in the face of torture and not cooperating with or divulging information to the enemy1 so they could return home having remained loyal to the ,united ,states4 7#af7 ,while at the ,zoo1 an overflow prison camp on the outskirts of ,hanoi1 ,,cdr ,alvarez taught the mute hand code communication technique to other captives and used the code to keep up spirits and stay organized4 7#ag7 ,on ,july #f1 #aiff1 ,,cdr ,alvarez and #ea other ,american prisoners of war were forced to march in the ,hanoi ,parade where he was abused and attacked by mobs4 7#ah7 ,,cdr ,alvarez was released ,february #ab1 #aigc1 after spending #c1aac days in captivity1 or eight years and six months4 7#ai7 ,following his release and hospitalization1 ,,cdr ,alvarez resumed his ,naval service1 returning to ,naval ,air ,station ,kingsville for refresher flight training4 7#bj7 ,,cdr ,alvarez attended the ,u4,s4 ,naval ,postgraduate ,school in ,monterey1 ,california and received a master's degree in ,operations ,research and ,systems ,analysis in #aigf4 7#ba7 ,,cdr ,alvarez was inducted into the ,u4,s4 ,naval ,postgraduate ,school's ,alumni ,hall of ,fame on ,march #bg1 #bjae4 7#bb7 ,,cdr ,alvarez served in ,program ,management at the ,naval ,air ,systems command in ,washington1 ,,dc1 from ,october #aigf until his retirement4 7#bc7 ,,cdr ,alvarez retired from the ,navy on ,june #cj1 #aihj1 completing a #bj-year ,naval career4 7#bd7 ,in #aihc1 ,,cdr ,alvarez earned his juris doctor from the ,george ,washington ,school of ,law and has been admitted to the ,district of ,columbia bar4 7#be7 ,in ,april #aiha1 ,president ,ronald ,reagan appointed ,,cdr ,alvarez as ,deputy ,director of the ,peace ,corps1 where he served until #aihb4 7#bf7 ,in ,july #aihb1 ,president ,reagan nominated ,,cdr ,alvarez to be ,deputy ,administrator of the ,veterans ,administration1 now known as the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 serving until #aihf4 7#bg7 ,in ,february #aihg1 ,president ,reagan appointed ,,cdr ,alvarez to ,board of ,regents of the ,uniformed ,services ,university of the ,health ,sciences1 where he served for nearly #ba years4 7#bh7 ,for his service1 ,,cdr ,alvarez was awarded the ,silver ,star ,medal1 two ,legions of ,merit1 the ,distinguished ,flying ,cross1 two ,bronze ,star ,medals1 two ,purple ,hearts1 and the ,prisoner of ,war ,medal4 7#bi7 ,on ,september #ah1 #bjab1 the ,united ,states ,navy ,memorial awarded ,,cdr ,alvarez the ,lone ,sailor ,award4 7#cj7 ,the people of the ,united ,states honor the sacrifices of ,,cdr ,alvarez and his service to our ,nation4 #c4 ,congressional ,gold ,medal 7a7 ,presentation authorized ,the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,president pro tempore of the ,senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation1 on behalf of ,congress1 of a gold medal of appropriate design to ,everett ,alvarez1 ,jr41 in recognition of his service to the ,nation4 7b7 ,design and striking ,for purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of the ,treasury 7referred to in this ,act as the ,secretary7 shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems1 devices1 and inscriptions1 to be determined by the ,secretary4 #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 section #eacd of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 all medals struck under this ,act shall be considered to be numismatic items4