Civilian American citizen means any person who, being then a citizen of the United States, was captured in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam conflict by any force hostile to the United States, or who went into hiding in Southeast Asia in order to avoid capture or internment by any such hostile force.

Calendar month means the period of time between a designated day of any given month and the date preceding a similarly designated day of the following month.

Citizen of the United States means a person who under applicable law acquired citizenship of the United States by birth, by naturalization, or by derivation.

Dependent husband means the surviving male spouse of a deceased civilian American citizen who was married to the deceased at the time of her death by a marriage valid under the applicable law of the place where entered into.

Force hostile to the United States means any organization or force in Southeast Asia, or any agent or employee thereof, engaged in any military or civil activities designed to further the prosecution of its armed conflict against the Armed Forces of the United States during the Vietnam conflict.

Southeast Asia means, but is not necessarily restricted to, the areas of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Went into hiding means the action taken by a civilian American citizen when that person initiated a course of conduct consistent with an intention to evade capture or detention by a hostile force in Southeast Asia.

Detention benefits awarded to a civilian American citizen will be paid at the rate of $150 for each calendar month of internment or during the period in which that civilian American citizen went into hiding to avoid capture and internment by a hostile force. Awards shall take account of fractional parts of a calendar month.

In case of death of a civilian American citizen who would have been entitled to detention benefits under the War Claims Act of 1948, as amended, benefits will be awarded, if claim is made, only to the following persons:

(a) Widow or husband if there is no child or children of the deceased;

(b) Widow or dependent husband and child or children of the deceased, one-half to the widow or dependent husband and the other half to the child or children in equal shares;

(c) The child or children of the deceased in equal shares if there is no widow or dependent husband, if otherwise qualified.

An individual is disqualified as a “civilian American citizen” under the Act, and thus is precluded from receiving an award of detention benefits, if that person:

(a) Voluntarily, knowingly, and without duress, gave aid to or collaborated with or in any manner served the detaining hostile force; or

(b) While detained, was a regularly appointed, enrolled, enlisted, or inducted member of the Armed Forces of the United States.