Rosen-Backed Bipartisan Bill to Award Congressional Gold Medal to “Dustoff” Crew Veterans of Vietnam War Passes the Senate

Legislation Passed With Overwhelming Bipartisan Support And Recognizes Extraordinary Heroism Of These Vietnam War Veterans

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced that bipartisan legislation she joined to collectively award the Congressional Gold Medal to a group of Vietnam War veterans known as “Dustoff Crews” passed the Senate. The moniker “Dustoff” refers to the radio call sign of the helicopter-borne medical evacuation teams that landed in hostile conditions to save wounded servicemembers during the Vietnam War. They were responsible for rescuing and transporting 17,700 United States casualties, despite the tremendous risk that they could be wounded or killed.

“These heroic medical evacuation crews risked their own safety to rescue and save countless lives during the Vietnam War,” said Senator Rosen. “Our nation is forever indebted to them, and I’m proud that the Senate passed bipartisan legislation I backed to honor these American heroes with the Congressional Gold Medal.”

Senator Rosen has been leading bipartisan efforts to support Nevada’s veterans. Last month, she helped introduce bipartisan legislation to officially authorize the construction of a new veterans hospital in Reno, which she also successfully pushed the president to include in his 2024 budget request. Earlier this year, Rosen introduced bipartisan legislation to permanently maintain a helpline for veterans to obtain information and assistance with all services from the VA. 

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