,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #baie ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #bf 7legislative day1 ,june #bd71 #bjbe,ms4 ,baldwin 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,daines1 and ,mr4 ,lujn7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to award a ,congressional ,gold ,medal1 collectively1 to the brave women who served in ,world ,war ,,ii as members of the ,u4,s4 ,army ,nurse ,corps and ,u4,s4 ,navy ,nurse ,corps4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,wwii ,nurses ,congressional ,gold ,medal ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,on ,december #h1 #aida1 the ,united ,states declared war against the ,empire of ,japan1 followed by declarations of war against ,germany and ,italy on ,december #aa1 #aida4 ,in #aice1 there were fewer than #fjj ,united ,states ,army nurses and #a1gjj ,united ,states ,navy nurses on active duty4 ,by the time ,world ,war ,,ii ended1 more than #ei1jjj ,army nurses and #ad1jjj ,navy nurses had volunteered to serve4 7#b7 ,the ,act of ,june #d1 #aibj 7#da ,stat4 #gei2 chapter #bbg71 granted women in the ,nurse ,corps relative rank4 ,this gave them the right to wear the military insignia1 but did not confer military status or privileges4 ,this arrangement meant women serving throughout ,world ,war ,,ii received #ej percent of the pay as compared to their male counterparts1 and none of the veteran benefits4 ,because they did not receive military status1 they received no orientation or training before being deployed to hospitals near the front lines4 7#c7 ,nurses served under fire in field hospitals and evacuation hospitals across #f continents1 on hospital trains and ships1 and as flight nurses on medical transport planes4 ,several nurses were killed in action when their ships were torpedoed or field hospitals were bombed4 ,some even entered into combat areas as flight nurses to retrieve the wounded1 and #b groups were captured as prisoners of war by the ,japanese4 7#d7 ,general ,douglas ,mac,arthur ordered ,american and ,filipino ,army ,corps nurses and other medical personnel to the ,bataan ,peninsula to prepare #b emergency hospitals for ,united ,states and ,filipino forces4 ,general ,hospital ,no4 #a received casualties directly from the front lines and occupied an old ,army barracks in ,limay1 ,bataan prior to implementation of ,war ,plan ,orange #c on ,december #bd1 #aida4 ,the hospital received more than #a1bjj battle casualties requiring major surgery within a month4 ,general ,hospital ,no4 #b1 a makeshift open ward hospital1 was set up in ,cabcaben1 ,bataan to receive discharged patients from ,hospital ,no4 #a4 ,hospital ,no4 #b accepted patients strong enough for evacuation1 as it was out in the open1 with no tents or buildings1 and only tree canopy to conceal them from ,japanese aircraft4 ,due to constant bombing1 ,hospital ,no4 #a was transferred to ,little ,baguio in ,mariveles1 ,bataan on ,january #be1 #aidb4 ,hospital ,no4 #a was bombed on ,march #bi1 #aidb1 and again on ,april #g1 killing or wounding more than #ajj patients1 but the nurses carried on with their duties as well as they were able4 ,fifty-three ,american and #ca ,filipina nurses were ordered to move from ,bataan to ,corregidor ,island on ,april #h4 ,ten of the ,american nurses were transferred successfully to ,australia prior to the fall of ,corregidor on ,may #f1 #aidb4 ,sixty-seven ,american nurses were eventually moved to ,santo ,tomas ,university ,internment ,camp where they were liberated in ,february #aide while #ca ,filipina nurses were moved to ,bilibid ,prison where they were conditionally released in ,july #aidb4 7#e7 ,on ,december #aj1 #aida1 ,sangley ,point ,navy ,yard was bombed by ,japanese planes4 ,american and ,filipino ,navy ,corps nurses1 medical personnel and patients of ,caacao ,naval ,hospital were transferred to the ,army ,sternberg ,hospital in ,manila4 ,during the first week of ,january #aidb1 the ,japanese ,army occupied ,manila and the ,navy nurses were transferred to ,st4 ,scholastica's ,college with their patients and eventually to ,santo ,tomas ,university ,internment ,camp on ,march #ab1 #aidb4 ,eleven ,american and ,filipino ,navy ,corps nurses were transferred to ,los ,baos ,prison ,camp on ,may #ad1 #aidc1 where they stayed until their liberation in ,february #aide4 ,following the ,united ,states ,army surrender of the ,philippines to the ,japanese on ,may #f1 #aidb1 #fg ,army nurses were taken to ,santo ,tomas ,internment ,camp in ,manila1 where they remained until ,february #aide4 ,during the #cg months in captivity1 these women endured primitive conditions and starvation rations1 but continued to care for the ill and injured in the internment camp hospital4 7#f7 ,chinese1 ,chinese-,american1 and ,japanese-,american nurses served in ,army ,hospitals in ,china1 ,hawaii1 and in the mainland ,united ,states under the ,army and ,navy ,corps4 ,despite the internment of many ,japanese-,american families during ,world ,war ,,ii1 ,japanese-,american women joined the ,nurse ,cadet ,corps to serve the ,united ,states4 ,chinese and ,chinese-,american nurses were recruited by the ,flying ,tigers1 serving both in dangerous missions over the ,himalayas as well as in ,u4,s4 ,army hospitals4 7#g7 ,early in the morning of ,november #h1 #aidb1 #fj nurses attached to the #dhth ,surgical ,hospital landed off the coast of ,north ,africa4 ,the nurses wore helmets and carried full packs containing medical equipment4 ,without weapons1 they waded ashore amid enemy sniper fire and ultimately took shelter in an abandoned civilian hospital1 where they began caring for invasion casualties4 ,there was no electricity or running water1 and the only medical supplies available were those the nurses had brought themselves4 7#h7 ,in ,anzio1 ,italy1 nurses dug foxholes outside their tents or under their cots and cared for patients under ,german shellfire4 ,the field hospital tents were marked by large red crosses and were sometimes deliberately hit with artillery shells and bombs4 ,on ,february #g1 #aidd1 a ,german pilot being pursued by ,british fighter planes dropped #e antipersonnel bombs on the hospital1 destroying #bi ward tents1 killing #bf and wounding #fd4 ,the dead included #c nurses1 #b medical officers1 a ,red ,cross worker1 #ad enlisted men and #f patients4 ,troops came to refer to the hospital area as ,hell's ,half-,acre because it was hit so frequently by enemy fire4 ,at least #bjj nurses took part in the ,anzio campaign1 caring for more than #cc1jjj patients behind enemy lines4 7#i7 ,army and ,navy nurses acclimated quickly to difficult and dangerous conditions with a minimum of complaints1 and were essential members of the field armies4 7#aj7 ,the presence of nurses at the front improved morale because soldiers realized that they would receive skilled care in the event they were wounded4 7#aa7 ,thanks largely to the efforts of these nurses1 fewer than #d percent of the ,american soldiers who received medical care in the field or underwent evacuation died from wounds or disease4 7#ab7 ,after the war1 broad public health missions required that ,army and ,navy nurses supervise communicable disease measures as former enemy countries were reorganized4 ,in ,hiroshima1 these officers cared for victims of the atomic bombs4 ,in ,munich1 they prevented mass epidemic in refugee camps4 ,army and ,navy nurses even provided prenatal1 infant1 and mental health care in other former-enemy territories4 7#ac7 ,nurses received #a1fai medals1 citations1 and commendations during the war1 reflecting the courage and dedication of all who served4 ,sixteen medals were awarded posthumously to nurses who died as a result of enemy fire1 including #f nurses who died at ,anzio1 #f who died when the hospital ship ,comfort was attacked by a ,japanese suicide plane1 and #d flight nurses4 ,thirteen other flight nurses died in weather-related crashes while on duty4 7#ad7 ,in #aidd1 ,congress passed a bill that granted ,army and ,navy ,nurses actual military rank and benefits1 approved for the duration of the war plus #f months4 7#ae7 ,in #aidg1 ,congress passed legislation establishing a permanent ,army and ,navy ,nursing ,corps and gave members permanent officer status with equal pay and the same benefits as those given to male officers4 7#af7 ,in #aidh1 all military branches were integrated and female doctors were finally admitted to the ,army ,medical ,corps4 7#ag7 ,although ,african-,american nurses were fully qualified and prepared to serve as nurses at the onset of ,world ,war ,,ii1 racial segregation and discrimination made it difficult for ,black women to join the ranks of the ,army ,nurse ,corps4 7#ah7 ,as the ,army ,nurse ,corps began expanding its recruiting process1 thousands of ,black nurses who wanted to serve their country filled out applications4 7#ai7 ,while the ,army did eventually integrate ,african-,american nurses in #aida1 it did so unwillingly and placed a quota on the number of ,african-,american nurses that they would accept1 capping the number allowed to join at #ef4 7#bj7 ,many of them had hardship tours and were sent to segregated camps to take care of ,african-,american soldiers and would rotate and allow ,white nurses reprieve in taking care of ,german prisoners of war4 ,as the war progressed1 the number of ,black nurses allowed to enlist remained low1 although the quota was officially lifted in ,july #aidd4 7#ba7 ,the extraordinary efforts of these women are deserving of belated official recognition4 7#bb7 ,the ,united ,states is eternally grateful to the nurses of the ,army and ,navy ,nurse ,corps for their bravery and dedication to their patients through ,world ,war ,,ii1 which saved lives and made significant contributions to the defeat of the ,axis powers4 #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 gold medal of appropriate design in honor of ,world ,war ,,ii ,army and ,navy ,nurse ,corps members1 in recognition of the critical military service and devotion to duty of those nurses4 7b7 ,design and striking ,for purposes of the award described 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 ,smithsonian ,institution 7#a7 ,in general ,following the award of the gold medal under subsection 7a71 the gold medal shall be given to the ,smithsonian ,institution1 where it shall be available for display as appropriate and made available for research4 7#b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,smithsonian ,institution should make the gold medal received under paragraph 7#a7 available for display elsewhere1 particularly at-- 7,a7 appropriate locations associated with the ,army and ,navy ,nurse ,corps of ,world ,war ,,ii1 including-- 7i7 the ,u4,s4 ,army ,medical ,center of ,excellence2 7ii7 the ,women in ,military ,service for ,america ,memorial2 7iii7 the ,u4,s4 ,army ,women's ,museum2 7iv7 the ,national ,naval ,medical ,centers2 and 7v7 the ,national ,world ,war ,,ii ,museum2 and 7,b7 any other location determined appropriate by the ,smithsonian ,institution4 #d4 ,duplicate medals ,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 pursuant to 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 #f4 ,authority to use fund amounts2 proceeds of sale 7a7 ,authority ,to use fund amounts ,there is authorized to be charged against the ,united ,states ,mint ,public ,enterprise ,fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck under this ,act4 7b7 ,proceeds of sale ,amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section #d shall be deposited into the ,united ,states ,mint ,public ,enterprise ,fund4