New Act Honors Medal of Honor Recipient Sergeant Alfredo Gonzalez with Congressional Gold Medal, Ensuring Public Display

This bill, officially titled the Sergeant Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Gonzalez Congressional Gold Medal Act, is straightforward: it authorizes Congress to award its highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, to posthumously recognize Sergeant Alfredo Gonzalez for his extraordinary heroism during the Vietnam War.

The Story Behind the Honor

Section 2 of the bill lays out the powerful narrative of Sergeant Gonzalez, a Marine who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Hue City in January and February 1968. The text details how he repeatedly exposed himself to heavy fire to clear enemy positions and rescue wounded Marines. On February 4th, he was fatally wounded while using anti-tank weapons to neutralize a machine-gun bunker that had pinned down his company. This bill is Congress’s way of further cementing his legacy of leadership and sacrifice.

Where the Medal Goes

For most people, a Congressional Gold Medal is a symbol, but this bill specifies exactly what happens to the physical award, which is where the real-world impact comes in. Section 3 mandates that once the medal is struck by the Secretary of the Treasury, it must be presented and then permanently given to the Museum of South Texas History. This is a key provision—it ensures the medal won't just sit in a vault or private collection. Instead, it will be put on public display, making this piece of American history accessible to researchers, students, and anyone interested in military service, especially those in his home state of Texas.

Making It Accessible (and Paying for It)

If you’ve ever seen a commemorative coin or medal, you know they often sell replicas. Section 4 addresses this by allowing the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the Gold Medal. This isn't just about collecting; it’s about covering costs. The bill requires the price of these bronze replicas to be set high enough to cover all manufacturing costs—including labor, materials, and equipment. Section 6 clarifies that the money used to make the original medal comes from the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, and all proceeds from selling the bronze duplicates go right back into that fund. This creates a self-sustaining mechanism: the public gets access to a collectible piece of history, and the government recoups its expenses without needing a separate appropriation. The medals are also officially designated as “numismatic items,” which is the technical term that allows the Treasury to handle them as collectible, sellable items.