Senator Cruz launches bill to curtail private ownership of military medals
His target is “repatriating” Medals of Honor. His bill affects all US military medals
On December 10, 2020, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced he Limiting and Enabling Gathering Awards Commemorating Yesteryear (LEGACY) Act, legislation to facilitate the repatriation of medals, including the Congressional Medal of Honor (MoH), into the United States for display in museums and for educational purposes.
The far-reaching bill attempts to make it illegal for non-approved individuals or businesses to buy, possess, sell, or import US military medals from outside of the United States.
According to Cruz's press release, however, he does endorse the yet-to-be-constructed "National Medal of Honor Museum" as an appropriate recipient of any errant medals. And where is this museum to be built? It isn't hard for you to guess — Cruz's home state of Texas.
Cruz's impetus for the bill was the sale of a Medal of Honor through the Munich-based auction company, Herman Historica. While it is illegal in the United States to buy, sell, or even possess a Medal of Honor (that was not awarded to you or a family member), it is perfectly legal for sales to occur off of United States soil. The Medal of Honor Museum Foundation attempted to block the sale, alerting Cruz to their inability to legally purchase the Medal.
So now, Cruz has authored a bill that, in essence, throws out the baby with the bathwater. If passed, military historians, medal collectors, and dealers will have to get on Cruz's "good list" to be able to own, buy, or sell medals.
Read the full bill here.
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John Adams-Graf ("JAG" to most) is the editor of Military Trader and Military Vehicles Magazine. He has been a military collector for his entire life. The son of a WWII veteran, his writings carry many lessons from the Greatest Generation. JAG has authored several books, including multiple editions of Warman's WWII Collectibles, Civil War Collectibles, and the Standard Catalog of Civil War Firearms. He is a passionate shooter, wood-splitter, kayaker, and WWI AEF Tank Corps collector.
