Bill > HR4621

This bill seeks to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, a segregated African-American unit that played a crucial role during the D-Day invasion in World War II. The bill highlights the battalion's unique contributions, including being the only American barrage balloon unit in France and the first segregated African-American unit to land on the Normandy beaches. Their primary mission was to deploy hydrogen-filled barrage balloons at approximately 200 feet to protect Allied troops from enemy aircraft attacks, which they accomplished despite intense enemy fire. The legislation recognizes the battalion's innovative deployment techniques, their successful downing of a German aircraft, and the heroic medical efforts of soldiers like Corporal Waverly B. Woodson Jr., who reportedly saved 200 soldiers during the invasion. The bill mandates that the gold medal be presented by Congressional leadership and subsequently displayed at the Smithsonian Institution, with a recommendation for additional displays at locations associated with D-Day, World War II, and African-American servicemembers. The legislation also allows for the creation and sale of duplicate bronze medals and authorizes the necessary funding from the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. Ultimately, the bill aims to provide long-overdue recognition to these brave soldiers who made significant contributions to the Allied victory during World War II.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4621/all-info