,,ii  #aag? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,s4 #daic  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,may #ab1 #bjbb,ms4    
,baldw9 7= h]self1 ,mr4 ,da9es1 ,mrs4   
,gillibr&1 ,mr4 ,k+1 ,ms4 ,w>r51 ,mr4   
,blum5?al1 ,mr4 ,braun1 & ,mrs4         
,blackburn7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i*
 0 read twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee  
on ,bank+1 ,h\s+1 & ,urban ,affairs  ,a 
,,bill  ,to aw>d a ,congressional ,gold 
,m$al1 collectively1 to ! brave wom5 :o 
s]v$ 9 ,_w ,w> ,,ii z memb]s ( ! ,u4,s4 
,army ,nurse ,corps & ,u4,s4 ,navy      
,nurse ,corps4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is    
,act may be cit$ z ! ,,wwii ,nurses     
,congressional ,gold ,m$al ,act4  #b4   
,f9d+s ,! ,congress f9ds ! foll[+3 7#a7 
,on ,decemb] #h1 #aida1 ! ,unit$ ,/ates 
decl>$ w> aga9/ ! ,empire ( ,japan1     
foll[$ by decl>ations ( w> aga9/ ,g]many
 & ,italy on ,decemb] #aa1 #aida4 ,9    
#aice1 !re 7 few] ?an #fjj ,u4,s4 ,army 
,nurses & #a1gjj ,u4,s4 ,navy ,nurses on
 active duty4 ,by ! "t ,_w ,w> ,,ii     
end$1 m ?an #ei1jjj ,army ,nurses &     

#ad1jjj ,navy ,nurses _h volunte]$ to   
s]ve4  7#b7 ,! ,army ,reorganization    
,act ( #aibj grant$ wom5 9 ! ,nurse     
,corps relative rank4 ,?is gave !m ! "r 
to we> ! milit>y insignia1 b did n conf]
 milit>y /atus or privileges4 ,?is      
arrangem5t meant wom5 s]v+ ?r\gh\t      
,,wwii receiv$ #ej p]c5t ( ! pay z      
comp>$ to _! male c\nt]p>ts1 & none ( ! 
vet]an b5efits4 ,because !y did n       
receive milit>y /atus1 !y receiv$ no    
ori5tation or tra9+ be=e be+ deploy$ to 
hospitals ne> ! frontl9es4  7#c7 ,nurses
 s]v$ "u fire 9 field hospitals &       
evacuation hospitals across six         
cont95ts1 on hospital tra9s & %ips1 & z 
flight nurses on m$ical transport       
planes4 ,sev]al nurses 7 kill$ 9 action 
:5 _! %ips 7 torp$o$ or field hospitals 
7 bomb$4 ,"s ev5 ent]$ into combat areas
 z flight nurses to retrieve ! w\nd$1 & 
#b gr\ps 7 captur$ z prison]s ( w> by ! 
,japanese4  7#d7 ,g5]al ,d\glas         
,mac,arthur ord]$ ,army nurses to !     
,bataan ,p59sula to prep>e #b em]g5cy   

hospitals = ,u4,s4 & ,filip9o =ces4     
,g5]al ,hospital #a receiv$ casualties  
directly f ! front l9es1 & m ?an #a1bjj 
battle casualties requir+ major surg]y 7
 admitt$ )9 a mon?4 ,g5]al ,hospital #b 
accept$ pati5ts /rong en\gh =           
evacuation1 z x 0 out 9 ! op51 ) no t5ts
 or build+s1 & only tree canopy to      
conceal !m f ,japanese aircraft4        
,hospital #a 0 bomb$ on ,m>* #bi1 #aidb1
 kill+ or w\nd+ m ?an #ajj pati5ts1 b ! 
nurses c>ri$ on ) _! duties z well z !y 
7 able4 ,foll[+ ! ,u4,s4 ,army surr5d] (
 ! ,philipp9es to ! ,japanese on ,may   
#f1 #aidb1 #fg ,army nurses 7 tak5 to   
,santo ,tomas ,int]nm5t ,camp 9 ,manila1
 :]e !y rema9$ until ,febru>y #aide4    
,dur+ ! #cg mon?s 9 captivity1 ^! wom5  
endur$ primitive conditions & />vation  
rations1 b cont9u$ to c>e = ! ill &     
injur$ 9 ! int]nm5t camp hospital4  7#e7
 ,e>ly 9 ! morn+ ( ,novemb] #h1 #aidb1  
#fj nurses atta*$ to ! #dh? ,surgical   
,hospital l&$ (f ! coa/ ( ,nor? ,africa4
 ,! nurses wore helmets & c>ri$ full    

packs conta9+ m$ical equipm5t4 ,)\t     
weapons1 !y wad$ a%ore amid enemy snip] 
fire & ultimately took %elt] 9 an ab&on$
 civilian hospital1 :]e !y began c>+ =  
invasion casualties4 ,!re 0 no          
electricity or runn+ wat]1 & ! only     
m$ical supplies available 7 ^? ! nurses 
_h br\ght !mselves4  7#f7 ,9 ,anzio1    
,italy1 nurses dug foxholes outside _!  
t5ts or "u _! cots & c>$ = pati5ts "u   
,g]man %ellfire4 ,! field hospital t5ts 
7 m>k$ by l>ge r$ crosses & 7 sometimes 
delib]ately hit ) artill]y %ells &      
bombs4 ,on ,febru>y #g1 #aidd1 a ,g]man 
pilot be+ pursu$ by ,briti% fight]      
planes dropp$ #e antip]sonnel bombs on !
 hospital1 de/roy+ #bi w>d t5ts1 kill+  
#bf & w\nd+ #fd4 ,! dead includ$ #c     
nurses1 #b m$ical (fic]s1 a ,r$ ,cross  
work]1 #ad enli/$ m5 & #f pati5ts4      
,troops came to ref] to ! hospital area 
z ,hell's ,half-,acre because x 0 hit s 
frequ5tly by enemy fire4 ,at lea/ #bjj  
nurses took "p 9 ! ,anzio campaign1 c>+ 
= m ?an #cc1jjj pati5ts beh9d enemy     

l9es4  7#g7 ,enli/$ nurses acclimat$    
quickly to difficult & dang]\s          
conditions ) a m9imum ( compla9ts1 & 7  
ess5tial memb]s ( ! field armies4  7#h7 
,! pres5ce ( nurses at ! front improv$  
morale because soldi]s realiz$ t !y w\ld
 receive skill$ c>e 9 ! ev5t !y 7 w\nd$4
  7#i7 ,?anks l>gely to ! ef=ts ( ^!    
nurses1 few] ?an #d p]c5t ( ! ,am]ican  
soldi]s :o receiv$ m$ical c>e 9 ! field 
or und]w5t evacuation di$ f w\nds or    
disease4  7#aj7 ,aft] ! w>1 broad public
 heal? missions requir$ t enli/$ nurses 
sup]vise communicable disease measures z
 =m] enemy c\ntries 7 reorganiz$4 ,9    
,hiro%ima1 ^! (fic]s c>$ = victims ( !  
atomic bombs4 ,9 ,muni*1 !y prev5t$ mass
 epidemic 9 refugee camps4 ,enli/$      
nurses ev5 provid$ pr5atal1 infant1 &   
m5tal heal? c>e 9 o!r =m]-enemy         
t]ritories4  7#aa7 ,nurses receiv$      
#a1fai m$als1 citations1 & comm5dations 
dur+ ! w>1 reflect+ ! c\rage & d$ication
 ( all :o s]v$4 ,sixte5 m$als 7 aw>d$   
po/hum\sly to nurses :o di$ z a result (

 enemy fire1 includ+ #f nurses :o di$ at
 ,anzio1 #f :o di$ :5 ! ,hospital ,%ip  
,com=t 0 attack$ by a ,japanese suicide 
plane1 & #d flight nurses4 ,?irte5 o!r  
flight nurses di$ 9 wea!r-relat$ cra%es 
:ile on duty4  7#ab7 ,9 #aidd1 ,congress
 pass$ a bill t grant$ ,army & ,navy    
,nurses actual milit>y rank & b5efits1  
approv$ = ! duration ( ! w> plus #f     
mon?s4  7#ac7 ,9 #aidg1 ,congress pass$ 
legislation e/abli%+ a p]man5t ,army &  
,navy ,nurs+ ,corps & gave memb]s       
p]man5t (fic] /atus ) equal pay & ! same
 b5efits z ^? giv5 to male (fic]s4      
7#ad7 ,9 #aidh1 all milit>y bran*es 7   
integrat$ & female doctors 7 f9ally     
admitt$ to ! ,army ,m$ical ,corps4      
7#ae7 ,al?\gh ,african-,am]ican nurses 7
 fully qualifi$ & prep>$ to s]ve z      
nurses at ! onset ( ,_w ,w> ,,ii1 racial
 segregation & discrim9ation made x     
difficult = ,black wom5 to jo9 ! ranks (
 ! ,army ,nurse ,corps 7ref]r$ to 9 ?is 
,act z ! ,,anc74  7#af7 ,z ! ,,anc began
 exp&+ its recruit+ process1 ?\s&s (    

,black nurses :o want$ to s]ve _! c\ntry
 fill$ out applications4  7#ag7 ,:ile ! 
,army did ev5tually integrate           
,african-,am]ican nurses 9 #aida1 x did 
s unwill+ly & plac$ a quota on ! numb] (
 ,african-,am]ican nurses t !y w\ld     
accept1 capp+ ! numb] all[$ to jo9 at   
#ef4  7#ah7 ,_m ( !m _h h>d%ip t\rs & 7 
s5t to segregat$ camps to take c>e (    
,african-,am]ican soldi]s & w\ld rotate 
& all[ ,:ite nurses reprieve 9 tak+ c>e 
( ,g]man ,p,o,ws4 ,z ! w> progress$1 !  
numb] ( ,black nurses all[$ to enli/    
rema9$ l[1 al?\gh ! quota 0 (ficially   
lift$ 9 ,july #aidd4  7#ai7 ,!          
extraord9>y ef=ts ( ^! wom5 are des]v+ (
 belat$ (ficial recognition4  7#bj7 ,!  
,unit$ ,/ates is et]nally grateful to ! 
nurses ( ! ,army & ,navy ,nurse ,corps =
 _! brav]y & d$ication to _! pati5ts    
?r\gh ,_w ,w> ,,ii1 :i* sav$ lives &    
made significant contributions to !     
defeat ( ! ,axis p[]s4  #c4             
,congressional gold m$al  7a7           
,pres5tation au?oriz$ ,! ,speak] ( !    

,h\se ( ,repres5tatives & ! ,presid5t   
pro tempore ( ! ,s5ate %all make        
appropriate arrangem5ts = ! pres5tation1
 on behalf ( ,congress1 ( a gold m$al ( 
appropriate design 9 honor ( ,_w ,w>    
,,ii ,army & ,navy ,nurse ,corps memb]s1
 9 recognition ( ! critical milit>y     
s]vice & devotion to duty ( ^? nurses4  
7b7 ,design & /rik+ ,= purposes ( !     
pres5tation describ$ 9 subsection 7a71 !
 ,secret>y ( ! ,treasury 7ref]r$ to 9   
?is ,act z ! ,secret>y7 %all /rike a    
gold m$al ) suitable emblems1 devices1 &
 inscriptions to be det]m9$ by !        
,secret>y4  7c7 ,smi?sonian in/itution  
7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,foll[+ ! aw>d ( ! gold   
m$al "u subsection 7a71 ! gold m$al %all
 be giv5 to ! ,smi?sonian ,in/itution1  
:]e x %all be available = display z     
appropriate & available = rese>*4  7#b7 
,s5se ( ,congress ,x is ! s5se (        
,congress t ! ,smi?sonian ,in/itution   
%\ld make ! gold m$al receiv$ "u        
p>agraph 7#a7 available = display       
else:]e1 p>ticul>ly at-- 7,a7           

appropriate locations associat$ ) !     
,army & ,navy ,nurse ,corps ( ,_w ,w>   
,,ii1 includ+-- 7i7 ! ,u4,s4 ,army      
,m$ical ,c5t] ( ,excell5ce2  7ii7 !     
,wom5 9 ,milit>y ,s]vice = ,am]ica      
,memorial2  7iii7 ! ,u4,s4 ,army ,wom5's
 ,museum2  7iv7 ! ,national ,naval      
,m$ical ,c5t]s2 &  7v7 ! ,national ,_w  
,w> ,,ii ,museum2 &  7,b7 any o!r       
location det]m9$ appropriate by !       
,smi?sonian ,in/itution4  #d4 ,duplicate
 m$als ,! ,secret>y may /rike & sell    
duplicates 9 bronze ( ! gold m$al /ruck 
"u section #c1 at a price suffici5t to  
cov] ! co/s ( ! m$als1 includ+ labor1   
mat]ials1 dies1 use ( ma*9]y1 & ov]head 
exp5ses4  #e4 ,/atus ( m$als  7a7       
,national m$als ,m$als /ruck pursuant to
 ?is ,act are national m$als = purposes 
( *apt] #ea ( title #ca1 ,unit$ ,/ates  
,code4  7b7 ,numismatic items ,=        
purposes ( section #eacd ( title #ca1   
,unit$ ,/ates ,code1 all m$als /ruck "u 
?is ,act %all be consid]$ to be         
numismatic items4  #f4 ,au?ority to use 

fund am\nts2 proce$s ( sale  7a7        
,au?ority ,to use fund am\nts ,!re is   
au?oriz$ to be *>g$ aga9/ ! ,unit$      
,/ates ,m9t ,public ,ent]prise ,fund su*
 am\nts z may be necess>y to pay = !    
co/s ( ! m$als /ruck "u ?is ,act4  7b7  
,proce$s ( sale ,am\nts receiv$ f ! sale
 ( duplicate bronze m$als au?oriz$ "u   
section #d %all be deposit$ into !      
,unit$ ,/ates ,m9t ,public ,ent]prise   
,fund4