Long Overdue Recognition

[HARDCORE]

HONORING OUR FALLEN PRISONERS OF WAR

For the record, HR 4425 was introduced to the House Armed Services Committee on 20 May 2003 and presented upon the House Floor by Congressman Bob Filner of San Diego on 3 June.. The presentation appeared on C-Span, and so far, it has been well received and has great bi-partisan backing!

As most of you now know, this Bill, entitled ?Honoring Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act?, would award (posthumously) the Purple Heart to those who perished in enemy captivity, either through starvation, disease, beatings, frozen to death, or any other reason while serving our nation, even in captivity!!

The Bill would recognize our fallen captive comrades from 1941 to the present and beyond!! So ?PLEASE? (again) call your representatives and express your support of this long overdue and sorely needed legislation....

?I have taken the liberty of inserting the Bill below!!?



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Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act (Introduced in House)

HR 4425 IH 108th CONGRESS
2d Session

H. R. 4425

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the Purple Heart to be awarded to prisoners of war who die in captivity under circumstances not otherwise establishing eligibility for the Purple Heart.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 20, 2004

Mr. FILNER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the Purple Heart to be awarded to prisoners of war who die in captivity under circumstances not otherwise establishing eligibility for the Purple Heart.

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 `Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act'.

SEC. 2. AWARD OF PURPLE HEART FOR PRISONERS OF WAR WHO DIE IN CAPTIVITY.

(a) Persons not Otherwise Eligible for the Purple Heart- Chapter 57 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`Sec. 1134. Purple Heart: members who die while prisoners of war that are not otherwise eligible under the circumstances causing death

`(a) For purposes of the award of the Purple Heart, the Secretary concerned shall treat a member of the armed forces described in subsection (b) in the same manner as a member who is killed or wounded in action as the result of an act of an enemy of the United States.

`(b) A member described in this subsection is a member who dies in captivity under circumstances establishing eligibility for the prisoner-of-war medal under section 1128 of this title but not under circumstances establishing eligibility for the Purple Heart.

`(c) This section applies to members of the armed forces who die on or after December 7, 1941. In the case of a member who dies as described in subsection (b) on or after December 7, 1941, and before the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary concerned shall award the Purple Heart under subsection (a) in each case which is known to the Secretary before the date of the enactment of this section or for which an application is made to the Secretary in such manner as the Secretary requires.'.
(b) Clerical Amendment- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

`1134. Purple Heart: members who die while prisoners of war that are not otherwise eligible under the circumstances causing death.'.