11 minute read
HONORING THREE HEROES
The Congressional Medal of Honor is our country’s highest military decoration and is only awarded to soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen “whose bravery and valor go above and beyond.” This is the version given to U.S. Army members.
HONORING HEROES
How three of our most recent awardees earned their Medals of Honor.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY
On July 5, 2022, Specialist Dwight W. Birdwell was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor – the nation’s highest military award. Indeed, the Medal of Honor is only bestowed upon those soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen whose bravery and valor go above and beyond.
In conjunction with Veterans Day this month, we at American Shooting Journal thought it fitting to honor Birdwell, along with two other recent recipients of the award, by sharing their heroic stories here.
DWIGHT W. BIRDWELL
• Rank: Specialist Five • Conflict/Era: Vietnam War • Unit/Command: Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division • Military Service Branch: U.S. Army • Medal of Honor Award Presentation Date: July 5, 2022
Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with C Troop, 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division in the Republic of Vietnam on 31 January,
Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell
1968. On this date, C Troop was ordered to move south to help repel an enemy attack on Tan Son Nhut Airbase. As the C Troop column of tanks and armored personnel carriers approached the west gate of Tan Son Nhut Airbase, it came under intense enemy fire from a building to its right. Unbeknown to C Troop, it had driven directly into an enemy force consisting of three battalions. e column tried to push through the initial attack but the lead tank, crippled by a rocket-propelled grenade explosion, was blocking the way forward. C Troop immediately came under heavy enemy fire from both sides of the road.
Specialist Five Birdwell, upon seeing that his tank commander was wounded by enemy fire, immediately went to his aid. Under intense enemy fire, he lowered the injured tank commander to the ground, and moved him to safety. Specialist Five Birdwell then, with complete disregard for his own safety, mounted the tank and assumed the tank commander’s position. Standing in the tank commander’s hatch with the upper half of his body exposed to heavy enemy fire, Specialist Five Birdwell used the tank’s .50-caliber machine gun and 90mm main gun to suppress the enemy attack. With the ammunition for the 90mm main gun exhausted, he continued to fire the .50-caliber machine gun until it overheated. At this point, Specialist Five Birdwell, rather than abandoning his position, continued to engage the enemy with his M-16 rifle, sometimes exposing his entire body to enemy fire in order to engage the enemy from a better vantage point.
When a U.S. helicopter crashed nearby, Specialist Five Birdwell, under withering enemy fire, dismounted and moved to the helicopter where he retrieved two M-60 machine guns and ammunition. After giving one M-60 and ammunition to a fellow soldier, he remounted his tank and used the other M-60 to again engage the enemy. Specialist Five Birdwell continued to engage the enemy with complete disregard for his own safety until the M-60 he was firing was hit by enemy fire. Specialist Five Birdwell, now wounded in the face, neck, chest, and arms, dismounted the tank but refused to be medically evacuated. Instead, Specialist Five Birdwell, under enemy fire, rallied fellow soldiers to advance toward the front of the armored column where they set up a defensive position by a large tree. From this position, he and the other soldiers engaged the enemy with M-16 fire and grenades. As the enemy fire lessened, Specialist Five Birdwell gathered ammunition from disabled vehicles and helped wounded soldiers move to safer positions. His leadership and tenacity under fire inspired the other C Troop soldiers to continue fighting against the superior enemy force, and directly contributed to the enemy’s ultimate defeat.
JOHN J. DUFFY
• Rank: Major • Conflict/Era: Vietnam War • Unit/Command: Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) Team 162, 5th Special Forces • Military Service Branch: U.S. Army • Medal of Honor Award Presentation Date: July 5, 2022
Major John J. Duffy distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the senior advisor to the 11th Airborne Battalion, 2nd Brigade, Airborne Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam in the Republic of Vietnam, during the period of 14 to 15 April, 1972. In the two days preceding the events of 14 to 15 April, 1972, the commander of the 11th Airborne Battalion was killed, the battalion command post was destroyed, and Major Duffy was twice wounded but refused to be evacuated. en on 14 April, Major Duffy directed the defense of Fire Support Base Charlie, which was surrounded by a battalion-size enemy element. In the morning hours, after a failed effort to establish a landing zone for resupply aircraft, he moved close to enemy anti-aircraft positions to call in airstrikes. At this time, Major Duffy was again wounded by fragments from a recoilless rifle round and again refused medical evacuation. Shortly thereafter, the enemy began an artillery bombardment on the base and he remained in an exposed position to direct gunships onto the enemy positions which eventually silenced the enemy fire. Following the bombardment, Major Duffy assessed the conditions on the base and personally ensured the wounded friendly foreign soldiers were moved to positions of relative safety and the remaining ammunition was appropriately distributed to the remaining defenders. Shortly thereafter, the enemy resumed indirect fire on the base, expending an estimated 300 rounds. Nevertheless, he remained in an exposed position to direct gunship fire on the enemy positions.
In the late afternoon hours, the enemy began a ground assault from all sides of the firebase and Major Duffy moved from position to position to adjust fire, spot targets for artillery observers, and ultimately to direct gunship fire on a friendly position which had been compromised. As the evening wore on, it became clear that the defenders could not withstand the overwhelming enemy forces and he began to organize an evacuation of the firebase under the cover of night. With the goal of a complete withdrawal, Major Duffy was the last man off the base, remaining behind to adjust the covering fire from gunships until the last possible moment. When the acting battalion commander was wounded, he assumed command of the evacuation and maintained communication with the available air support to direct fire on the enemy.
In the early morning hours of 15 April, the enemy ambushed the battalion inflicting additional casualties and scattering some of the able-bodied soldiers. Major Duffy organized defensive positions during the ambush and ensured the friendly foreign forces could successfully repulse the enemy. After withstanding the ambush, he led the evacuees, many of whom were significantly wounded, to an established evacuation area, despite being continually pursued by the enemy. Upon reaching the exfiltration site, Major Duffy directed gunship fire on enemy positions and marked a landing zone for the helicopters. Only after ensuring all of the evacuees were aboard, did Major Duffy board while also assisting a wounded friendly foreign soldier in with him. Once on board, he administered aid to a helicopter door gunner who had been wounded during the evacuation.
DENNIS M. FUJII
• Rank: Specialist Five • Conflict/Era: Vietnam War • Unit/Command: 237th Medical Detachment, 61st Medical Battalion, 67th Medical Group • Military Service Branch: U.S. Army • Medal of Honor Award Presentation Date: July 5, 2022
Specialist Five Dennis M. Fujii distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity beyond the call of duty while serving as crew chief aboard a helicopter ambulance during rescue operations in Laos, Republic of Vietnam, during the period of 18 to 22 February, 1971. Specialist Five Fujii was serving with the 237th Medical Detachment, 61st Medical Battalion, 67th Medical Group. e team’s mission was to evacuate seriously wounded Vietnamese military personnel from the midst of a raging battlefield. e aircraft’s primary approach to the bullet-infested landing zone was thwarted by heavy volumes of enemy fire directed at the specialist’s helicopter. As the pilot made a second landing attempt, the
Specialist Five Dennis M. Fujii
enemy concentrated a barrage of flak at the air ambulance which damaged the craft and caused it to crash in the conflict area, injuring Specialist Five Fujii. Moments later, another American helicopter successfully landed near the wreckage of the specialist’s airship and extracted all the downed crewmen except for Specialist Five Fujii, who was unable to board due to the intense enemy fire directed at him. Rather than further endanger the lives of his comrades aboard the second helicopter, Specialist Five Fujii waved the craft out of the combat area and remained behind as the only American on the battlefield. Subsequent attempts to rescue the specialist were aborted due to the violent antiaircraft fire. Specialist Five Fujii finally secured a radio and informed the aviators in the area that the landing zone was too hot for further evacuation attempts.
During the night and all through the next day, Specialist Five Fujii disregarded his own wounds as he administered first aid to the allied casualties. On the night of 19 February, the allied perimeter came under ruthless assault by a reinforced enemy regiment supported by heavy artillery. Once again obtaining a radio transmitter, Specialist Five Fujii called in American helicopter gunships to assist the small unit in repelling the attack. For a period of over 17 consecutive hours, Specialist Five Fujii repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire as he left the security of his entrenchment to better observe enemy troop positions and to direct air strikes against them. At times the fighting became so vicious that Specialist Five Fujii was forced to interrupt radio transmittal in order to place suppressive rifle fire on the enemy while at close quarters. ough wounded and severely fatigued by 20 February, the specialist bore the responsibility for the protection and defense of the friendly encampment until an American helicopter could land and attempt to airlift him from the area. As his air ambulance left the battlefield, it received numerous hits and was forced to crash-land at another South Vietnamese Ranger base approximately 4 kilometers from the specialist's original location. e totally exhausted Specialist Five Fujii remained at the allied camp for two more days until yet another helicopter could return him to Phau Bai for medical assistance on 22 February.
Specialist Five Fujii’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
THESE THREE SOLDIERS are true American heroes, exhibiting bravery, honor and valor of the highest order. American Shooting Journal would like to thank them, and all military veterans, for their service and sacrifice. Editor’s note: Citations were excerpted from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website (cmohs.org).
Custom Guns
When it comes to full custom guns, whether it be custom revolvers, custom 1911s, or full custom large caliber rifles, the place to look first is Gary Reeder Custom Guns. In business for almost 40 years building some of the finest full custom guns, built to your specs. Reeder Custom Guns is a fully licensed firearm manufacturer and can build that very special gun you have always wanted. To see almost 70 different series of full custom guns, see our web site, or if you have questions feel free to call.
10 to 12 month delivery in most cases.
Gary Reeder Custom Guns • 2601 7th Ave. East • Flagstaff, Arizona 86004
