A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the "Doolittle Tokyo Raiders", for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and service to the United States in conducting the bombings of Tokyo.

Mr. President, it is with pride and humility that I stand and thank my colleagues for passing S. 381 by unanimous consent last night. Once passed by the House and signed by the President, this bill will award Congressional Gold Medals to the surviving World War II heroes we know as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.

The effort to pass this measure has been a personal one to me. I thank 78 of my colleagues who have cosponsored the resolution. It proves the Senate can still reach consensus. I especially thank Senator Boozman, who is my original Republican counterpart, in introducing this bill in February. Also, original cosponsors Senator Murray and Baucus and Tester and Nelson and Cantwell and Schatz--original cosponsors.

I wish Senator Lautenberg, also an original cosponsor and close personal friend, the last World War II veteran in the Senate, were here today to see its passage.

My special thanks to Senator Cornyn for his work on this and especially Senator Ayotte. They have my personal thanks for helping to bring so many Republicans to sponsor this bill with us.

Many of you know the story of the Doolittle Raid. More than 71 years ago, following the attack of Pearl Harbor just 4 months earlier, 80 brave American airmen launched a mission that would become our Nation's first offensive action against Japanese soil in the Second World War. They volunteered for what was called an ``extremely hazardous mission'' without knowing at the time what it actually entailed. Under the leadership of LTC James Doolittle, the raid involved launching 16 U.S. Army Air Corps B-25 Mitchell bombers from the deck of the USS Hornet, a feat that had never been attempted in combat before.

On April 18, 1942, again just a few months after Pearl Harbor, 650 miles from its intended target, the Hornet encountered Japanese ships. Fearing the mission might be compromised, the raiders decided to launch 170 miles earlier than anticipated. These men accepted the risk that they might not have enough fuel to make it safely beyond Japanese- occupied China. The consequences meant the Raiders would almost certainly have to crash land or bail out, either above Japanese- occupied China or over the home islands of Japan. Any survivors would certainly be subjected to imprisonment or torture or death.

After reaching their targets, 15 of the bombers continued to China. The 16th, dangerously low on fuel, headed to Russia. The total distance traveled by the Raiders averaged 2,250 nautical miles over a period of 13 hours, making it the longest combat mission ever flown in a B-25 during the war. Of the 80 Raiders who launched that day, 8 were captured. Of those eight prisoners, three were executed, one died of disease, and four survived as prisoners of war and returned home after the war.

The Doolittle Raid was a turning point for the Pacific theater and set the stage for Allied victory. Of the original 80 Raiders, 4 survive today. A Raider from Cincinnati, my home State, MAJ Tom Griffin, passed away on February 26 of this year, the very night I introduced S. 381. Major Griffin was the navigator of plane No.9, the Whirling Dervish, on the Doolittle Raid. He survived the mission and continued to fly until he was shot down in 1943 and held in a German POW camp for 2 years.

When the war ended, Major Griffin returned home to Cincinnati and later owned his own accounting business.

Similar to our veterans past and present, he asked for nothing. These veterans served simply because their Nation asked. For many years the surviving raiders gathered to celebrate the mission and to honor their departed fellow Raiders. This year's celebration was bittersweet. It was their final reunion, they decided. All the remaining Raiders are in their nineties and it is becoming hard for them to make the trip. It was decided this would be their final reunion.

This is an article, a story in the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, of the final reunion which took place in Dayton, OH. The three remaining survivors who could make the trip called out ``here'' as a historian read the rollcall. They then raised a goblet inscribed with their names and toasted their fellow Raiders with a bottle of 1896 Cognac, a bottle that Commander Jimmy Doolittle passed down for the Raiders' final toast. Seventy-six other goblets were turned upside down, one for each of the comrades who had passed away. Hundreds of people watched the solemn ceremony and offered their respects.

Speaker Boehner, whose district is nearby Dayton, OH, sent a letter in honor of the occasion.

In an Associated Press article on the ceremony, a 12-year-old boy whose grandparents brought him to the event said, ``I felt like I owed them a few short hours of the thousands of hours I will be on this Earth.''

This journey started 2 years ago for me when Brian Anderson, the Sergeant at Arms for the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association, approached my office seeking a proclamation for the 70th anniversary of the raid. We achieved that goal, passing S. 418 in August 2012 by unanimous consent. But that was not enough for Brian. It was not enough to honor these men and what they had accomplished. We set our goal of awarding the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by Congress, limited to two a year in this body, to the Raiders.

This honor is designated to those who ``have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized a major achievement in the recipient's field long after the achievement.''

These 80 veterans met that description. They exemplified our highest ideals of courage and service. They deserved to be recognized.

President Kennedy said ``a nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors and the men it remembers.''

We, our Nation, honor those who serve. I call on the House and I call on the Speaker to quickly act on this legislation. Sitting in the Chamber today is a Senator from Texas, the senior Senator from Texas, who played a major role with Senator Ayotte and others in gathering cosponsors for this Congressional Gold Medal. I thank Senator Cornyn for his work.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise to recognize the lasting contributions of 80 courageous Americans who participated in the Doolittle raid, our Nation's first offensive action on Japan's soil during the Second World War. I am pleased to have Senator Boozman as the lead Republican of an effort to ensure these men have the recognition they deserve. Together, we introduced S. 381, which will award the surviving airmen, known as the Doolittle Raiders, with the Congressional Gold Medal. Senator Boozman's collaboration reiterates that bipartisan support for our veterans endures in this body. Joining us as original cosponsors are Senators Murray, Tester, Baucus, Nelson, Cantwell, and Schatz.

As chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee during the last session, Senator Murray also cosponsored last year's resolution. We are grateful for her leadership. Our colleague Senator Lautenberg, the sole World War II veteran serving in the Senate, is also a cosponsor.

Some 16 million Americans served this country during World War II. Today their average age is 92. These survivors have earned the respect of a grateful Nation. Now is the time for us to act to honor them.

On April 18, 1942, 80 American airmen volunteered for an unknown assignment. These sons, fathers, and brothers accepted what they only knew to be ``an extremely hazardous mission.'' They were led by Lt. Col. James ``Jimmy'' Doolittle, a one-time flight instructor at Wright Field in Dayton, OH, in my home State. He also studied at Kelly Field and McCook Field in Ohio.

The Doolittle Raid was the first time the Army Air Corps and the Navy collaborated on a tactical mission. These pilots flew 16 U.S. Army Air Corps B-25 Mitchell bombers from the deck of the USS Hornet into combat, a feat that had never been before attempted.

On the morning of the raid, the USS Hornet was discovered by Japanese picket ships. Fearing the mission

might be compromised, the Raiders launched 170 miles earlier than planned. The earlier launch meant these men now had to travel over 650 miles to their intended targets, leaving them with the possibility of running out of enough fuel to land beyond the Japanese lines in occupied China.

Accepting this choice meant the Raiders would almost certainly have to crash land or bail out either above Japanese-occupied China or over the home islands of Japan. Any survivor would certainly be subjected to imprisonment, torture or death.

After reaching their targets, 15 of the bombers continued to China, while the 16th--whose plane was dangerously low on fuel--headed to Russia.

The total distance traveled by the Raiders was about 2,250 nautical miles over a period of 13 hours, making it the longest combat mission ever flown in a B-25 during the war.

Of the 80 Raiders who launched that day, 8 were captured--3 of them were executed, 1 died of disease, and 4 of these prisoners survived and returned home after the war. Of the original 80, 4 are still with us today. They are residents of Montana, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington State.

There was a fifth, MAJ Tom Griffin of Cincinnati, OH. On the evening of February 26, just 1 week ago--the date I introduced this legislation--Major Griffin of Cincinnati passed away surrounded by family and friends. His family lost a loved one, our Nation lost a hero.

The remaining four Raiders will be commemorating the 71st anniversary of this raid this coming April in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Now is the time to award these survivors the Congressional Medal. Their valor, their skill, their courage proved invaluable to the morale of our country on that day more than 70 years ago and the eventual defeat of Japan in the Second World War. These men continue to remind us of the quiet determination and that uncommon valor in the face of sheer danger.

I humbly ask my colleagues to join us in this bill in honoring the Doolittle Raiders.

I yield the floor.

I ask unanimous consent the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 381 and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

I ask unanimous consent the Brown amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read three times and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I wish to turn the compliment around and extend my appreciation to the Senator from Ohio Mr. Brown for his leadership on this issue. This is long overdue to these great American patriots, the recognition they so justly earned.