[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
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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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