119-hr1819

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1819 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1819

 To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to E. Royce 
 Williams for acts of valor during the Korean War.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 3, 2025

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to E. Royce 
 Williams for acts of valor during the Korean War.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) On November 18, 1952, then Lieutenant E. Royce Williams 
 and Combat Air Patrol Task Force 77 carried out an airstrike on 
 the Hoeryong industrial complex near the Korea-Russia border. 
 In response, seven Soviet MiG-15s launched from a Soviet base 
 near Vladivostok. Williams and three other U.S. pilots flying 
 F9F-5 Panthers were dispatched from the U.S.S. Oriskany to 
 pursue the seven MiG-15s in blizzard conditions to engage over 
 the Sea of Japan.

    (2) When the Flight Leader's instruments reported a fuel-
 pump warning, he was escorted back to the U.S.S. Oriskany by 
 his wingman.

    (3) Williams and his wingman, Dave Rowlands, remained 
 airborne. Williams fired upon one MiG-15 and Rowlands followed 
 it out of formation, leaving Williams to pursue the remaining 
 six MiG-15s on his own. In his efforts, Williams expended all 
 of his ammunition and shot down four, very likely five, of the 
 seven Soviet MiG-15s, setting the American aviator record for 
 MiGs shot in a single sortie and the only naval dogfight over 
 water in the Korean War.

    (4) After sustaining a hit from a 37 millimeter shell that 
 disabled his electrical and hydraulic systems, Williams 
 underwent enemy fire while returning to the carrier as well as 
 friendly fire from escort vessels after being mistaken for 
 enemy aircraft.

    (5) Without rudders to slow his descent, Williams landed on 
 the U.S.S. Oriskany at a speed of 170 knots, miraculously able 
 to safely engage the number three wire.

    (6) Williams' aircraft sustained 263 holes and a foot-long 
 gash while the only injury sustained by Williams was a bloody 
 neck, chafed by his gear. Williams was told not to speak of the 
 events of that day by his commanders, and, at the time, was 
 only officially credited for one downed and one damaged enemy 
 in the fight.

    (7) Witnesses to this heroism were the first unit of the 
 then newly created National Security Agency, codenamed 
 ``Canoe'', aboard the USS Helena. Intercepting Soviet 
 communications, the unit recorded the transmissions that three 
 Soviet MiGs were shot down, and one pilot ejected his 
 compromised aircraft and then died. One aircraft returned to 
 base in Vladivostok.

    (8) At the end of the Cold War, Russia released the names 
 of the four pilots shot down in combat on November 18, 1952.

    (9) When Williams was awarded the Silver Star for his 
 actions on November 18, 1952, the drafters did not have access 
 to the top secret radio intelligence or the subsequent Russian 
 report released after the Cold War.

    (10) Williams served in the Navy for over 30 years, flew 
 over 220 missions in Korea and Vietnam, and retired in 1984.

    (11) On January 20th, 2023, Williams' Silver Star was 
 upgraded by the Secretary of the Navy to the Navy Cross.

    (12) E. Royce Williams deserves the Congressional Medal of 
 Honor for his heroic actions on November 18, 1952, when he 
 successfully eliminated four, likely five, of seven MiG-15s in 
 a far less superior aircraft during the 35-minute-long aerial 
 battle wherein he never once sought safety in the clouds or 
 abandoned the mission despite being outnumbered and outgunned.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR AWARD OF MEDAL OF HONOR TO E. ROYCE WILLIAMS 
 FOR ACTS OF VALOR DURING THE KOREAN WAR.

    (a) Waiver of Time Limitations.--Notwithstanding the time 
limitations specified in 

section 8298 of title 10, United States Code, 
or any other time limitation with respect to the awarding of certain 
medals to persons who served in the Armed Forces, the President may 
award the Medal of Honor under 

section 8291 of such title to E. Royce 
Williams for the acts of valor described in subsection

    (b) .

    (b) Acts of Valor Described.--The acts of valor described in this 
subsection are the actions of E. Royce Williams, as a lieutenant in the 
Navy, on November 18, 1952.
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