119-hr3531

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3531 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3531

 To posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Sergeant Alfredo 
 ``Freddy'' Gonzalez, in recognition of his heroism in the Vietnam War 
 in February 1968.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 21, 2025

Ms. De La Cruz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Sergeant Alfredo 
 ``Freddy'' Gonzalez, in recognition of his heroism in the Vietnam War 
 in February 1968.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Sergeant Alfredo `Freddy' Gonzalez 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) Alfredo Gonzalez was posthumously awarded the Medal of 
 Honor for heroism in the Vietnam War in February 1968.

    (2) Gonzalez was born May 23, 1946, in Edinburg, Texas. He 
 graduated from Lamar Grammar School, 1955, and from Edinburg 
 High School, 1965.

    (3) Gonzalez enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at 
 San Antonio, Texas, June 3, 1965, and was discharged to enlist 
 as an active-duty Marine, July 6, 1965.

    (4) He completed recruit training with the 3d Recruit 
 Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, 
 September 1965, and individual combat training with the 2d 
 Battalion, 2d Infantry Training Regiment, Marine Corps Base, 
 Camp Pendleton, California, October 1965.

    (5) After completing individual combat training, he became 
 a rifleman with Headquarters and Service Company, 1st 
 Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, and served in 
 that capacity until January 1966. Following this, he saw a one-
 year tour of duty as a rifleman and squadron leader with 
 Company L, 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division. He 
 was promoted to private first class on Jan. 1, 1966, to lance 
 corporal on Oct. 1, 1966, and to corporal on Dec. 1, 1966.

    (6) Upon returning to the United States in February 1967, 
 he joined to 3d Replacement Company, Staging Battalion, Marine 
 Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, for transfer to the Far East.

    (7) On July 1, 1967, he was promoted to sergeant, and later 
 that month arrived in the Republic of Vietnam. He served as a 
 squad leader and platoon sergeant with the 3d Platoon, Company 
 A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division.

    (8) While serving as platoon commander, 3d Platoon, Company 
 A, on 31 January 1968, during the initial phase of Operation 
 Hue City, Sgt. Gonzalez' unit was formed as a reaction force 
 and deployed to Hue to relieve the pressure on the beleaguered 
 city. While moving by truck convoy along Route No. 1, near the 
 village of Lang Van Lrong, the marines received a heavy volume 
 of enemy fire. Sgt. Gonzalez aggressively maneuvered the 
 marines in his platoon, and directed their fire until the area 
 was cleared of snipers. Immediately after crossing a river 
 south of Hue, the column was again hit by intense enemy fire. 
 One of the marines on top of a tank was wounded and fell to the 
 ground in an exposed position. With complete disregard for his 
 safety, Sgt. Gonzalez ran through the fire-swept area to the 
 assistance of his injured comrade. He lifted him up and though 
 receiving fragmentation wounds during the rescue, he carried 
 the wounded marine to a covered position for treatment. Due to 
 the increased volume and accuracy of enemy fire from a 
 fortified machine-gun bunker on the side of the road, the 
 company was temporarily halted. Realizing the gravity of the 
 situation, Sgt. Gonzalez exposed himself to the enemy fire and 
 moved his platoon along the east side of a bordering rice paddy 
 to a dike directly across from the bunker. Though fully aware 
 of the danger involved, he moved to the fire-swept road and 
 destroyed the hostile position with hand grenades. Although 
 seriously wounded again on 3 February, he steadfastly refused 
 medical treatment and continued to supervise his men and lead 
 the attack. On 4 February, the enemy had again pinned the 
 company down, inflicting heavy casualties with automatic-
 weapons and rocket fire. Sgt. Gonzalez, utilizing a number of 
 light antitank assault weapons, fearlessly moved from position 
 to position firing numerous rounds at the heavily fortified 
 enemy emplacements. He successfully knocked out a rocket 
 position and suppressed much of the enemy fire before falling 
 mortally wounded. The heroism, courage, and dynamic leadership 
 displayed by Sgt. Gonzalez reflected great credit upon himself 
 and the Marine Corps and were in keeping with the highest 
 traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his 
 life for his country.

    (9) His complete list of medals and decorations include: 
 the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the Presidential Unit 
 Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam 
 Service Medal with two bronze stars, the Vietnamese Cross of 
 Gallantry with star, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with 
 palm, the Military Merit Medal and the Republic of Vietnam 
 Campaign Medal. He also serves as the namesake for USS Gonzalez 
 (DDG 66).

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate 
arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal 
of appropriate design dedicated to Sergeant Alfredo Gonzalez, in 
recognition of his heroism in the Vietnam War in February 1968.

    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection

    (a) , the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this 
Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with suitable 
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
            (c) Museum of South Texas History.--Following the award of the gold 
medal described in subsection

    (a) , the gold medal shall be given to the 
Museum of South Texas History, where it shall be displayed as 
appropriate and made available for research.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medals struck under 

section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck under this Act are national 
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
under this Act.

    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under 

section 3 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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