A retired Navy commander is the reason why you could see a new medal awarded to Vietnam War veterans in the near future.
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Tony Wied jointly announced on Tuesday their bipartisan bill that would honor veterans who participated in Operation End Sweep with a Vietnam Service Medal. Despite the United States withdrawing from the Vietnam War at the time of the mission, Operation End Sweep cleared dangerous mines from Haiphong Harbor surrounding North Vietnam. Veterans of the mission were ineligible for the Vietnam Service Medal because it took place after the war had ended.
According to the release from Senator Baldwin’s office, the bill was inspired by Retired Navy Commander Michael Cosgrove of Sturgeon Bay. “Operation End Sweep marked the end of the Vietnam War and serves as a powerful example of the dedication and bravery of our Vietnam veterans, like Retired Navy Commander Michael Cosgrove of Sturgeon Bay, who risked their lives to clean up naval mines left behind in the war’s aftermath,” said Rep. Wied in his joint statement with Senator Baldwin as both commended the work of the mission’s veterans. Cosgrove was an Executive Officer of an ocean-going minesweeper during the mission, spending five months after the Vietnam War ended to ensure naval mines were removed from the harbor as a part of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords and under the Hague Convention of 1907. “We received virtually no credit for our efforts,” Cosgrove said, “most have no idea the operation even occurred. I would like to see this bill passed so that those of us who participated in End Sweep receive some recognition for our service.”
The Honoring Operation End Sweep Veterans Act is the latest of Baldwin’s efforts to address the aftermath of the Vietnam War, including honoring members of the Southeast Asian Diasporas that supported the country during the war and authorizing funding for the removal of landmines and unexploded ordinances and victim support programs.
