Vietnam veteran receives Medal of Honor

President Joe Biden bestowed the highest military recognition on Col. Paris Davis on Friday for his valiancy during the Vietnam War. As an Army Special Forces captain, Davis led a raid in June 1965 on the North Vietnamese in the village of Bong Son, Binh Dinh province. There, he prevented three American soldiers from being captured. When an enemy grenade shattered his hand, Davis began firing his rifle with his pinkie finger.

Why wasn’t he recognized sooner? Davis’ commander nominated him for the medal in 1965, but the package and documents were apparently lost, as was a recreated package from 1969. In 2016, advocates urged the Secretary of the U.S. Army to review Davis’ nomination, which led to Friday’s ceremony. While Davis didn’t focus on the delay during his speech, Biden said he should have received the honor years ago.

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