Retired Army Special Forces Col. Paris Davis was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Joe Biden for his exceptional bravery during a Viet Cong ambush in Vietnam in 1965. Davis, who was one of the first Black Special Forces officers, risked his life multiple times to save his men and faced racial discrimination when his Medal of Honor paperwork was not processed twice post-Vietnam.
Key Points:
- Col. Paris Davis was recognized for his heroism during a 1965 ambush in Vietnam, where he repeatedly defended against enemy forces and refused to leave any man behind.
- Davis was among the first Black Special Forces officers, and President Biden highlighted past efforts to dissuade his service.
- After the Vietnam incident, Davis was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart, but his Medal of Honor paperwork went unprocessed twice, with Davis noting race as a factor.
- Davis managed to save his men during the ambush, even when ordered to retreat and faced immense enemy forces.
- After retiring from the Army in 1985, Davis started a newspaper in Virginia and was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame in 2019.
Source: https://www.wbur.org/npr/1160190832/biden-special-forces-officer-paris-davis-medal-of-honor-vietnam
