To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Army Dustoff crews of the Vietnam War, collectively, in recognition of their extraordinary heroism and life-saving actions in Vietnam.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Army Dustoff helicopter ambulance crews who served during the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1973. It formally recognizes their heroic medical evacuation service, which transported nearly 900,000 wounded soldiers and pioneered the concept of rapid battlefield medical evacuation within the "golden hour."
Who Benefits and How
Vietnam War Dustoff crew veterans and their families receive official Congressional recognition for their extraordinary service, bravery, and sacrifice. The U.S. Army Medical Department Museum receives the gold medal for permanent display and research, potentially attracting visitors interested in military medical history.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund bears the cost of striking the gold medal and any duplicate bronze medals. However, the financial impact is minimal since proceeds from selling duplicate bronze medals to collectors are deposited back into the Mint Fund, creating a largely self-sustaining funding mechanism.
Key Provisions
- Awards a single Congressional Gold Medal collectively to all Dustoff crews who served in Vietnam
- Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to design and strike the medal in consultation with the Secretary of Defense
- Designates the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum as the permanent home for the medal, with provisions for temporary display at Vietnam War-related locations
- Authorizes the Mint to sell duplicate bronze medals to the public
- Establishes a funding mechanism using the Mint Public Enterprise Fund for medal production costs
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Army Dustoff helicopter ambulance crews who served during the Vietnam War, recognizing their heroic medical evacuation service that saved countless lives.
Who Benefits
- Vietnam War Dustoff crew veterans and their families
- U.S. Army Medical Department Museum
- United States Mint (through sale of duplicate bronze medals)
Who Bears Costs
- United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund (costs of striking medals)
Key Policy Areas
Veterans Affairs, Military Honors, Government Operations
Primary Purpose
Awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Army Dustoff helicopter ambulance crews who served during the Vietnam War, recognizing their heroic medical evacuation service that saved countless lives.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Formally recognize and honor the heroic service of Army Dustoff helicopter ambulance crews who pioneered rapid aeromedical evacuation during the Vietnam War"
Identified Gains
- Vietnam War Dustoff crew veterans and their families
- U.S. Army Medical Department Museum
- United States Mint (through sale of duplicate bronze medals)
Identified Costs
- United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund (costs of striking medals)
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Cornyn (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Cruz, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
United States Mint, United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund
U.S. Army Medical Department Museum
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Treasury
- "secretary_of_defense"
- → Secretary of Defense
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
United States Army helicopter crew members including pilots, crew chiefs, and medics who served during the Vietnam War aboard helicopter air ambulances under the radio call signs 'Dustoff' and 'Medevac' from May 1962 through March 1973
The Secretary of the Treasury, as defined in Section 3 of the Act
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology