[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2399 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2399

  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

                             March 29, 2023

 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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