119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 5993
This bill authorizes Congress to award a single Congressional Gold Medal to the service members of MACV–SOG (Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group), an elite special operations unit that conducted dangerous covert missions throughout Southeast Asia from 1964 to 1972. The medal recognizes the unit's exceptional bravery and sacrifice during the Vietnam War, including deep-penetration reconnaissance, direct-action missions, and pilot rescue operations—efforts that remained largely classified and unknown to the American public for decades. MACV–SOG suffered approximately 1,579 casualties and still has over 50 members missing in action, accounting for more than half of all Green Beret deaths during the war. The Treasury Department will design and strike the gold medal, which will be permanently housed at the Smithsonian Institution for public display and research, though Congress hopes it will also be displayed at MACV–SOG-related locations. The bill authorizes the Treasury to cover all costs of producing the medal from existing U.S. Mint funds and allows the sale of duplicate bronze medals to help offset expenses.