Bill would make MOH 90 percent gold - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Bill would make MOH 90 percent gold

The Medal of Honor would become more valuable, containing at least 90 percent gold, under legislation introduced Friday in Congress by two veterans.

Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., are sponsors of the bill.

“I was stunned to learn from a fellow veteran that the highest honor America bestows on our military heroes could be a brass-plated medallion that cost only $30,” said Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., an Army veteran drafted during the Vietnam War.

“Surely we can afford more than a $30 medal,” Baca said.

Kerry, a decorated Navy veteran who also served in Vietnam, said, “When we recognize their exceptional service, I believe the United States of America can do better than a $30 gold knock-off.”

According to Baca’s staff, the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, has a far higher cost than the Medal of Honor. Each Gold Medal, given to actors and entertainers and foreign dignitaries, costs about $30,000, with $3,600 to $4,200 of that stemming directly from the price of gold in the medal. The rest of the expense comes from the design and production, as each medal is designed specifically for the recipient. In comparison, the Medal of Honor varies in value from $29.98 to $75, depending on the service, as each has its own version. The Army has the least expensive, and the Air Force has the most expensive, Baca aides said.

This is not the first attempt to improve the value of the nation’s highest military honor. Kerry and Baca introduced similar bills in the Senate and House in 2005, requiring that the medal have 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloys.

Kerry’s bill was referred to the Senate Banking Committee, which oversees legislation involving commemorative coins and medals, but the bill never came to a vote. Baca’s bill was referred to the House Armed Services Committee, which is responsible for military awards, but the committee did not act on the proposal.