119-hr3175

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3175 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3175

 To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Thomas H. 
 Griffin for acts of valor as a member of the Army during the Vietnam 
 War.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 1, 2025

 Mr. Panetta introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Thomas H. 
 Griffin for acts of valor as a member of the Army 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. ACTS OF VALOR DESCRIBED.

 Congress recognizes the following acts of valor by Thomas Helmut 
Griffin:

    (1) Thomas Helmut Griffin distinguished himself by valorous 
 actions against overwhelming odds while serving as a captain in 
 the Army, Senior Advisor, 4/5 Infantry Battalion, 2nd Infantry 
 Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

    (2) From March 1, 1969 through March 3, 1969, during the 
 Vietnam War, such battalion was ordered to forestall an 
 imminent attack on Quang Ngai City threatened by units of the 
 North Vietnamese Army (hereinafter, ``NVA''). The 4/5 Battalion 
 engaged unabatedly with an entrenched NVA regiment over the 
 course of three days. Captain Griffin (hereinafter, ``CPT 
 Griffin'') risked his life and disregarded his personal safety, 
 all above and beyond his duty, on some 20 occasions, to lead 
 his battalion in the fight as well as direct gunships, air, and 
 artillery strikes on the enemy positions.

    (3) During the initial phase of battle, CPT Griffin made 
 numerous trips across 50 meters of open ground, while under 
 heavy automatic weapon, rocket, and small arms fire, to advise 
 on the conduct of the battle and better direct strikes against 
 enemy forces. Fearing slaughter of his soldiers, CPT Griffin, 
 with one of his counterparts from the Army of the Republic of 
 Vietnam (hereinafter, ``ARVN''), charged directly into heavy 
 enemy fire and assaulted a machine gun bunker. CPT Griffin 
 continued these runs, despite the enemy shooting the heels off 
 CPT Griffin's boots.

    (4) After taking out the NVA bunker, CPT Griffin brandished 
 the captured machine gun and rocket launcher to exhort his 
 battalion out of the kill zone and continue the assault into 
 the enemy entrenchments while remaining exposed to heavy fire. 
 CPT Griffin's raw and intense close combat leadership 
 galvanized his battalion to move out of the kill zone and 
 continue their mission.

    (5) CPT Griffin's ARVN counterpart was struck by close 
 fire, and CPT Griffin unhesitatingly carried the wounded 
 commander to safety while shielding him with his own body 
 against rocket and artillery fire. CPT Griffin proceeded to 
 carry four more wounded soldiers to safety while protecting 
 them with his own body, returning each time against devastating 
 enemy fire. While leading the final attack, CPT Griffin was hit 
 three times in the chest by enemy small arms fire, yet 
 continued to lead at the forefront of his battalion until the 
 mission was completed. Under CPT Griffin's command and 
 leadership, the 4/5 Battalion continued to reduce the enemy 
 regiment's fighting capacity.

    (6) CPT Griffin's personal leadership in intense close 
 combat resulted in a major win for his battalion against 
 overwhelming odds, killing 93 enemy soldiers and saving the 
 lives of over 300 allied soldiers by galvanizing and leading 
 them out of the kill zone.

    (7) CPT Griffin's selfless devotion to duty, his 
 extraordinary heroism, conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, 
 and numerous risks of his life above and beyond the call of 
 duty, are all in keeping with the highest traditions of the 
 Army, and reflect great credit on himself, the Armed Forces, 
 and the United States.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following with regards to the original decision 
to award a Silver Star to Thomas Helmut Griffin:

    (1) When awarding him the Silver Star, CPT Griffin's chain 
 of command was unaware of the full extent of his valorous 
 actions and the numerous risks he took for his soldiers, all 
 above and beyond the call of duty.

    (2) Congress notes that although CPT Griffin was struck 
 three times by enemy fire, and at one point was completely 
 surrounded by the enemy, he continued to fight and lead his 
 battalion against devastating and overwhelming enemy fire.

    (3) Congress notes that CPT Griffin's Commanding Officer, 
 Colonel Dean E. Hutter (ret.), sent a letter to the Department 
 of the Army dated November 6, 2013, in which he accounts for 
 the revelation of additional, substantive and material evidence 
 not known at the time of the decision to award the Silver Star, 
 and in which he describes as compelling ``the justice of 
 upgrading CPT Griffin's sustained and varied acts of combat 
 valor to their rightful level of recognition, the Medal of 
 Honor''.

    (4) Congress further notes that Colonel Hutter issued a 
 letter to former United States Representative Sam Farr on 
 September 15, 2011, noting his support for an upgrade from a 
 Silver Star to a Medal of Honor, having recognized CPT 
 Griffin's acts of valor as, ``numerous, selfless demonstrations 
 of personal risk in pressing a close-combat attack against a 
 well-entrenched element of a battalion-size enemy formation''.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF AWARD OF MEDAL OF HONOR TO THOMAS HELMUT 
 GRIFFIN FOR ACTS OF VALOR AS A MEMBER OF THE ARMY DURING 
 THE VIETNAM WAR.

    (a) Authorization.--Notwithstanding the time limitations specified 
in 

section 7274 of title 10, United States Code, or any other time 
limitation with respect to the awarding of certain medals to persons 
who served in the Armed Forces, the President is authorized to award 
the Medal of Honor, under 

section 7271 of such title, to Thomas Helmut 
Griffin for the acts of valor described in subsection

    (b) .

    (b) Acts of Valor Described.--The acts of valor described in this 
subsection are the actions of Thomas H. Griffin during the period of 
March 1 through March 3, 1969, while serving as a captain in the Army 
during the Vietnam War, for which he was previously awarded the Silver 
Star.
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