One of the first black officers in the US Army’s Special Forces will receive recognition for his service in the Vietnam War with the Medal of Honor – after almost 60 years.
Col Paris Davis, who is now retired, disobeyed orders and rescued his troops who were wounded in an attack in 1965.
His nomination for the highest combat award was lost by the military during the height of the civil rights era.
President Joe Biden phoned the 83-year-old to deliver the good news.
“The call today from President Biden prompted a wave of memories of the men and women I served with in Vietnam – from the members of 5th Special Forces Group and other U.S. military units to the doctors and nurses who cared for our wounded,” Col Davis said in a statement released by him and his family.
“I am so very grateful for my family and friends within the military and elsewhere who kept alive the story of A-team, A-321 at Camp Bong Son,” the statement continued.
“I think often of those fateful 19 hours on June 18, 1965 and what our team did to make sure we left no man behind on that battlefield.”
The then Army captain disobeyed his commands to leave a battle, but later said he could not leave men behind.
Though he was hit by gunfire and a grenade, Col Davis went back to a rice paddy for two seriously injured men – Billy Waugh and Robert Brown.
CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, reported that Col Davis recalled telling his commanding officer: “Sir, I’m just not going to leave. I still have an American out there.”
Mr Waugh went on to recommend Col Davis for the medal, as did his commander, Billy Cole.
But then the paperwork mysteriously vanished – twice.
Military historian Doug Sterner said it was extremely odd and rare for nomination paperwork of this kind to be lost.
Over the years, comrades and volunteers advocated on Col Davis’ behalf to receive the honour.
“I thought that maybe this was just one of those racist things that shouldn’t have happened, but did happen and when [the paperwork] got lost a second time I was convinced,” Col Davis told CBS News in an interview.
He said racism was something he had experienced during his 23 years in the Army.
In January 2021, former acting US defence secretary Christopher Miller ordered a review of Col Davis’ case.
In an opinion piece in USA Today, Mr Miller said “bureaucracy has a way of perpetuating injustice”.
“Awarding Davis the Medal of Honor now might not untangle much military bureaucracy,” he wrote. “But it would address an injustice.”
More than 58,000 US military personnel are known to have died during the Vietnam War, according to the US National Archives.
The White House has not yet confirmed a date for Col Davis’ medal ceremony.
Source : BBC
