This bill authorizes Congress to award a single Congressional Gold Medal to the service members of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam–Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG), a highly classified special operations unit that conducted dangerous missions in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1964 to 1972. MACV-SOG was an elite joint task force composed of Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Marines, Air Force personnel, and CIA operatives who performed deep reconnaissance, direct-action raids, pilot rescues, and other covert operations that forced North Vietnam to divert up to 50,000 troops away from combat. The legislation recognizes that approximately 1,579 MACV-SOG members were killed or went missing during the war—accounting for over half of all Green Beret deaths—yet their contributions remained secret for decades, denying them public recognition. The Secretary of the Treasury will design and strike the gold medal, which will be presented by congressional leaders and then housed at the Smithsonian Institution for public display and research. The bill also authorizes the sale of duplicate bronze medals, with proceeds funding the costs of creating the medals through the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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