H.R. 7317: Golden Thirteen Congressional Gold Medal Act

This bill, known as the Golden Thirteen Congressional Gold Medal Act, aims to award a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to a group of individuals recognized as the "Golden Thirteen." These individuals were significant in the history of the United States Navy, specifically as the first Black officers trained in 1944.

Key Provisions of the Bill

• Awarding of the Medal: The bill authorizes the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a gold medal to honor the Golden Thirteen and their contributions to the nation.
• Design and Production: The Secretary of the Treasury is tasked with designing and striking the gold medal, which will incorporate suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions.
• Display at Smithsonian: After the presentation, the gold medal will be given to the Smithsonian Institution for display and research purposes. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should also be exhibited at other significant locations related to the Golden Thirteen.
• Provision for Duplicate Medals: The bill allows for the Secretary to produce and sell bronze duplicates of the gold medal, with the sales proceeds intended to cover production costs.
• Classification of Medals: The medals created under this act are classified as national medals and are treated as numismatic items, thereby subject to specific legal provisions governing such items.
• Funding and Sales Revenue: The bill authorizes the allocation of funds from the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund to cover the costs associated with producing the medals and establishes that any revenue from the sale of bronze duplicates will be deposited into the same fund.

Historical Context

The Golden Thirteen refers to a group of 16 Black enlisted men who were the first to train as officers in the U.S. Navy. Notably:

• In January 1944, there were no Black officers in the U.S. Navy.
• The group underwent an accelerated officer training program and, despite facing skepticism about their achievements, they completed their training successfully.
• Their average examination score was the highest ever recorded by any class in Navy history at that time.
• Of the 16 men, only 12 were initially commissioned as officers due to an assumption about attrition rates, despite all having passed their exams.
• The name "Golden Thirteen" was coined in the 1970s by Captain Edward Secrest and was formally recognized during a reunion in 1982.

List of Members Recognized

The members of the Golden Thirteen include:

• Jesse Walter Arbor
• Phillip G. Barnes
• Samuel Edward Barnes
• Dalton Louis Baugh, Sr.
• George Clinton Cooper
• Reginald Ernest Goodwin
• James Edward Hair
• Charles Byrd Lear
• Graham Edward Martin
• Dennis Denmark Nelson
• John Walter Reagan
• Frank Ellis Sublett, Jr.
• William Sylvester White
• Augustus Alves (passed exam, not commissioned)
• J.B. Pinkney (passed exam, not commissioned)
• Lewis "Mummy" Williams (passed exam, not commissioned)

Relevant Companies

None found.