This bill would award a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to Bonnie Eloise Rush Milam. It directs Congressional leaders to arrange the presentation. The Secretary of the Treasury would have a gold medal struck. After presentation, the gold medal would be given to the Tyrrell Historical Library in Beaumont, Texas for display and research. The Secretary may also strike and sell duplicate bronze medals to cover costs. The bill says costs may be charged to the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund and that proceeds from medal sales would be deposited back into that fund.
The bill text includes findings about Mrs. Milam: she was born in 1908 in Anahuac, Texas and founded the Melody Maids, an all-girls singing group, in Beaumont in 1942. The Melody Maids performed for U.S. service members, at bases and hospitals, and on tours to Europe, the United Kingdom, Nordic countries, Hawaii, Asia, Mexico, and parts of the Caribbean. About 1,500 young women served as Melody Maids. Mrs. Milam composed Song Saga of Spindletop in 1951 and received awards including the American Legion Distinguished Service Award and the Daughters of the American Revolution Medal of Honor. She died on October 3, 2008, at age 100.
For most people, the bill is a symbolic act to honor Bonnie Milam. The single gold medal would be given to the Tyrrell Historical Library for display and research. Duplicate bronze medals may be offered for sale. The bill does not change individual benefits or legal rights.
The bill authorizes charging necessary costs to the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. Duplicate bronze medals must be sold at prices sufficient to cover production costs, and sale proceeds would go back into that Mint fund. No publicly available information on the total cost or a cost estimate appears in the bill text.
The bill's findings say Mrs. Milam provided entertainment and comfort to service members during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and that she fostered patriotism, music education, and leadership development in young women through the Melody Maids. Supporters would present the medal as recognition of those lifelong contributions and her continuing legacy through scholarships and preserved memorabilia.
No publicly available information.