Biden awards Medal of Honor to four Vietnam War soldiers
Source: Washington Post
MILITARY
Biden awards Medal of Honor to four Vietnam War soldiers
The men had previously received lower-level decorations for their battlefield gallantry. After a review, senior military officials moved to upgrade each of their awards, and the president approved.
By Dan Lamothe
Updated July 5, 2022 at 3:15 p.m. EDT | Published July 5, 2022 at 12:52 p.m. EDT
President Biden presents the Medal of Honor to retired Army Maj. John J. Duffy on July 5. (Sarah Silbiger for The Washington Post)
President Biden awarded the nation’s highest recognition for valor in combat, the Medal of Honor, to four Vietnam War soldiers on Tuesday, saying it was “finally” possible to “set the record straight” after decades in which their actions were not properly recognized. ... The men served in the Army and previously had received lower-level decorations for their battlefield gallantry. But after years of deliberation, senior military officials decided to upgrade each of their awards, and Biden approved.
“It’s just astounding when you hear what each of them have done,” the president marveled during a White House ceremony. “They went far above and beyond the call of duty. It’s a phrase always used, but it takes on life when you see these men.”
[Biden to award Medal of Honor to soldiers for valor in Vietnam War]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/06/27/medal-of-honor-vietnam-dwight-birdwell-biden/
The recipients include Spec. 5 Dwight Birdwell, who led an armored unit through a bloody ambush in 1968; Maj. John J. Duffy, a Special Forces officer who fought off an attack in 1972; Spec. 5 Dennis M. Fujii, who, having survived a helicopter crash, directed airstrikes on advancing forces while under fire in Laos in 1971; and Staff Sgt. Edward N. Kaneshiro, who cleared a trench of enemy fighters using grenades and a rifle in 1967 and died a few months later in another battle.
Biden said that the awards were possible in part because of a congressionally mandated review of actions of Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the Korean and Vietnam wars. A similar review of underrecognized valor cases during World War II resulted in 22 Medal of Honor commendations, including one for the late senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Biden said. ... Birdwell, Duffy and Fujii stood at attention as Biden draped the award around their necks in the East Room of the White House. Kaneshiro’s award was accepted posthumously by his son, John.
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By Dan Lamothe
Dan Lamothe joined The Washington Post in 2014 to cover the U.S. military and the Pentagon. He has written about the Armed Forces for more than 13 years, traveling extensively, embedding with each service and covering combat in Afghanistan numerous times. Twitter https://twitter.com/danlamothe
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/07/05/biden-medal-of-honor-vietnam/
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Save Our Democracy💙 in 2022 & 2024!
Just read the stories of these honorable men. Well deserved
