S. 1970

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1970 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1970

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the service members of the 
Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group, in 
recognition of their bravery and outstanding service in South Vietnam, 
North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia during the Vietnam War.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 5, 2025

Mr. Budd (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the service members of the 
Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group, in 
recognition of their bravery and outstanding service in South Vietnam, 
North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia during the Vietnam War.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``MACV-SOG Congressional Gold Medal 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and 
Observations Group (referred to in this Act as ``MACV-SOG'') 
was established in January 1964 as a dedicated joint military 
task force to conduct high risk and special activities in the 
denied areas of North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
(2) MACV-SOG conducted deep-penetration reconnaissance, 
sabotage, direct-action mission, rescue missions for downed 
pilots, prisoner-of-war snatches, bomb-damage assessments, 
wiretaps, psychological operations, and maritime operations 
against the North Vietnamese.
(3) MACV-SOG remains one of the most distinguished and 
elite special operations units in United States military 
history, setting standards for modern special operations 
forces. Twelve MACV-SOG operators have been awarded the 
Congressional Medal of Honor.
(4) Between 1964 and 1972, approximately 1,579 people of 
the United States are listed as missing or killed while serving 
with MACV-SOG. This accounts for more than \1/2\ of all Green 
Beret fatalities during the Vietnam War and more than 50 MACV-
SOG team members are still missing in action.
(5) The innovative tactics of MACV-SOG, integration with 
indigenous forces, and mastery of direct action and special 
warfare created a blueprint for modern special operations. Many 
of the strategies, technologies, and doctrines they pioneered 
are now standard across elite military units, reinforcing their 
legacy as a cornerstone of United States special operations 
history.
(6) MACV-SOG created battlefield effects that were vastly 
disproportionate to the small size of the command. The impact 
of MACV-SOG on the North Vietnamese logistics, troop 
deployment, and morale was profound. The North Vietnamese 
diverted entire divisions, as many as 50,000 troops, and 
numerous other resources away from offensive operations to 
defend against incursions by MACV-SOG and to internal security 
operations in North Vietnam.
(7) These covert operations remained unacknowledged by 
military leadership and unknown to the United States public, 
until their existence began to be declassified decades later. 
This secret war denied MACV-SOG members their just recognition 
and deprived the families of deceased and wounded operators 
from knowing the full extent of the sacrifice of their loved 
ones to the United States.
(8) MACV-SOG was a joint operations program that included 
members of the Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Force 
Reconnaissance Marines, the United States Air Force, and the 
Central Intelligence Agency.
(9) MACV-SOG teams also relied heavily on the indigenous 
population, including Montagnards, Chinese Nung, Cambodian, and 
Vietnamese personnel, along with the 219th Vietnamese Air Force 
King Bee helicopter pilots, who were actively engaging in the 
fight against communist forces.
(10) Twelve Medal of Honor recipients have been recognized 
for their gallantry during actions while operating with MACV-
SOG units.
(11) A Presidential Unit Citation was issued to MACV-SOG by 
President George W. Bush in 2001.
(12) The bravery, sacrifice, and quiet professionalism of 
MACV-SOG units from 1964 to 1972 reflect favorably upon the 
highest traditions of the United States military and the United 
States.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, 
of a single gold medal of appropriate design to the service members of 
MACV-SOG, in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service in 
South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia during the Vietnam 
War.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the presentation 
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred 
to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary.
(c) Smithsonian Institution.--
(1) In general.--Following the presentation of the gold 
medal referred to in subsection (a), the gold medal shall be 
given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be 
available for display as appropriate and available for 
research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal awarded 
pursuant to this Act available for display elsewhere, 
particularly at appropriate locations and events associated 
with MACV-SOG.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

(a) National Medal.--Medals struck pursuant to this Act are 
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 
Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

(a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
under this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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