[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1097 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.1097
One Hundred Eighteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-four
An Act
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr., in
recognition of his service to the Nation.
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 ``Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional
Gold Medal Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Commander (CDR) Everett Alvarez, Jr., 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 history, surviving over eight and half years
in captivity.
(2) CDR Alvarez was born in Salinas, California, in 1937, and
was the grandchild of Mexican immigrants.
(3) CDR Alvarez attended Salinas Union High School and Hartnell
College and received a bachelor of science degree from Santa Clara
University.
(4) In 1960, CDR Alvarez joined the United States Navy and was
commissioned as Ensign.
(5) After receiving his commission, CDR Alvarez attended flight
training at the Naval Air Basic Training Command in Pensacola,
Florida.
(6) In June 1961, CDR Alvarez was transferred to the Naval
Auxiliary Air Station in Kingsville, Texas, where he trained until
December 1961.
(7) CDR Alvarez was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) in
April 1962.
(8) In June 1962, CDR Alvarez joined Attack Squadron 144,
nicknamed the ``Roadrunners'', which was deployed to the Gulf of
Tonkin prior to the United States entrance in the Vietnam war in
August 1964.
(9) On August 5, 1964, while flying Operation Pierce Arrow from
the USS Constellation near the Vietnam-China border, CDR Alvarez's
A-4 Skyhawk was shot down and he was captured by a Vietnamese
fishing vessel.
(10) Upon capture, CDR Alvarez was taken to the Hoa Lo Prison
in Hanoi, known to many former prisoners as the ``Hanoi Hilton''.
(11) CDR Alvarez spent his first thirteen months, eight days,
and five hours in isolation.
(12) While at Hoa Lo, CDR Alvarez was repeatedly beaten and
tortured and was fed inedible meals and suffered malnourishment.
(13) In September 1965, CDR Alvarez was moved to the
``Briarpatch'', a prison camp west of Hanoi, with no electricity or
running water.
(14) Despite torture and interrogation, CDR Alvarez remained
loyal to the United States and assisted other American prisoners of
war.
(15) CDR Alvarez, with his own actions, encouraged and inspired
fellow prisoners of war to ``Return with Honor'', which meant
keeping their integrity in the face of torture and not cooperating
with or divulging information to the enemy, so they could return
home having remained loyal to the United States.
(16) At great risk, CDR Alvarez helped spread the means of
communication, including the tap code and the mute hand code, to
keep up spirits and stay organized.
(17) On July 6, 1966, CDR Alvarez and 51 other American
prisoners of war were forced to march in the ``Hanoi Parade'' where
he was abused and attacked by mobs.
(18) CDR Alvarez was released February 12, 1973, after spending
3,113 days in captivity, or eight years and six months.
(19) Following his release and hospitalization, CDR Alvarez
resumed his Naval service, returning to Naval Air Station
Kingsville for refresher flight training.
(20) CDR Alvarez attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in
Monterey, California, and received a master's degree in Operations
Research and Systems Analysis in 1976.
(21) CDR Alvarez was inducted into the U.S. Naval Postgraduate
School's Alumni Hall of Fame on March 27, 2015.
(22) CDR Alvarez served in Program Management at the Naval Air
Systems command in Washington, DC, from October 1976 until his
retirement.
(23) CDR Alvarez retired from the Navy on June 30, 1980,
completing a 20-year Naval career.
(24) In 1983, CDR Alvarez earned his juris doctor from the
George Washington School of Law and has been admitted to the
District of Columbia bar.
(25) In April 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed CDR
Alvarez as Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, where he served
until 1982.
(26) In July 1982, President Reagan nominated CDR Alvarez to be
Deputy Administrator of the Veterans Administration, now known as
the Department of Veterans Affairs, serving until 1986.
(27) In February 1987, President Reagan appointed CDR Alvarez
to the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences, where he served for nearly 21 years.
(28) For his service, CDR Alvarez was awarded the Silver Star
Medal, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two
Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Hearts, and the Prisoner of War
Medal.
(29) On September 18, 2012, the United States Navy Memorial
awarded CDR Alvarez the ``Lone Sailor Award''.
(30) The people of the United States honor the sacrifices of
CDR Alvarez and his service to our Nation.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress,
of a gold medal of appropriate design to Everett Alvarez, Jr., in
recognition of his service to the Nation.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in
this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
The design shall bear an image of, and inscription of the name of,
Everett Alvarez, Jr.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs
of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--Medals struck under this Act are national
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31,
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) 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 Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.