Retired Col. Paris Davis was one of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat during the Vietnam War. FOX13
The overdue recognition for the 83-year-old Virginia resident comes after his recommendation for the medal was lost, resubmitted — and then lost again.
"When you're fighting, you're not thinking about this moment," Davis said. "You're just trying to get through that moment."Davis, then a captain and commander with the 5th Special Forces Group, engaged in nearly continuous combat during a pre-dawn raid on a North Vietnamese army camp in the village of Bong Son in Binh Dinh province.
Davis, a native of Cleveland, retired in 1985 at the rank of colonel and now lives in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington. Biden called him several weeks ago to deliver the news. Davis' commanding officer recommended him for the military's top honor, but the paperwork disappeared. He eventually was awarded a Silver Star Medal, the military's third-highest combat medal, as an interim honor, but members of Davis’ team have argued that his skin color was a factor in the disappearance of his Medal of Honor recommendation.
Deis, now 79, helped compile the recommendation that was submitted in 2016. He said he knew Davis had been recommended for the Medal of Honor shortly after the battle in 1965, and he spent years wondering why Davis hadn't been awarded the medal. Nine years ago he learned that a second nomination had been submitted "and that also was somehow, quote, lost."
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Watch Live: Biden awards Medal of Honor to Ret. Col. Paris Davis for heroism in VietnamDavis was one of the first Black officers in the Army's elite Green Berets. His nomination for the nation's highest combat decoration vanished twice at the height of the civil rights movement.
Read more »
Black Vietnam vet at last getting his due: Medal of HonorAn 83-year-old Vietnam veteran is at long last getting his due
Read more »
Black Vietnam vet at last getting his due: Medal of HonorWASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 60 years after he was first recommended for the nation’s highest award for bravery during the Vietnam War, retired Col. Paris Davis, one of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat, will receive the prestigious Medal of Honor on Friday.
Read more »
Black Vietnam vet at last getting his due: Medal of HonorNearly 60 years after he was first recommended for the nation’s highest award for bravery during the Vietnam War, retired Col. Paris Davis, one of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat, will receive the prestigious Medal of Honor on Friday. It wasn't until 2016 — half a century after Davis risked his life to save some of his men by fighting off the North Vietnamese — that a volunteer group of advocates painstakingly recreated and resubmitted the paperwork. “Right now I'm overwhelmed,” he told The Associated Press in an interview the day before he attends a White House ceremony where President Joe Biden will hang the blue ribbon holding the Medal of Honor around Davis' neck.
Read more »
Nearly 60 years later, Black Vietnam vet to receive Medal of HonorParis Davis repeatedly sprinted into an open rice paddy to rescue each member of his team, according to the ArmyTimes. His entire team survived. Davis refused to leave the battlefield until his men…
Read more »
Black Vietnam Vet At Last Getting His Due: Medal Of HonorThe overdue recognition for 83-year-old retired Col. Paris Davis comes after his recommendation for the medal was lost, resubmitted — and then lost again.
Read more »