Senator Collins Joins Bipartisan Legislation to Honor WWII Nurses with Congressional Gold Medal

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined 32 of her Senate colleagues in supporting the bipartisan WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act, a bill to recognize the work and sacrifices of World War II nurses by presenting them with a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by the United States Congress. The bill would award this honor to the more than 59,000 Army Nurses and 14,000 Navy Nurses who served in World War II.

Awarding this medal is a well-deserved commemoration of the service of nurses like Alize Zwicker, who was born in Brownville, and during the war, was held in a Japanese internment camp in the Philippines for three years after the nation was seized by Japan in 1942. Alize was the only Maine servicewoman held as a prisoner of war in either of the two world wars.

“The brave and resilient women who answered the call to serve the nation during the Second World War deserve to be remembered alongside our country’s greatest patriots,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan effort would ensure that the adversity overcome by Maine nurses like Alize Zwicker is properly memorialized in our history.”

The WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act is endorsed by the American Red Cross, Friends of the National World War II Memorial, and the National Military Women’s War Memorial.

In addition to Senator Collins, the WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act is sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Steve Daines (R-MT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Joe Manchin (I-WV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), John Barrasso (R-WY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

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