5-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Act
Summary
This bill would have authorized the U.S. Treasury to mint and issue a series of commemorative gold, silver, and half-dollar coins in 2013 to honor five legendary five-star generals: George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Henry "Hap" Arnold, and Omar Bradley. Each of these leaders was an alumnus of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the coins were intended to feature their portraits to recognize their military service and leadership.
For the public, the bill offered a way to own a piece of military history while supporting officer education, as the sale price of each coin would have included a mandatory surcharge. These extra funds were designated for the Command and General Staff College Foundation to help finance its educational programs and support for the college. Although this specific version of the bill was referred to a House committee in 2008 and did not advance further, the commemorative coin program was eventually authorized by a later piece of legislation.