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On this day in 1965, then-Captain Paris Davis - now Colonel and one of only 61 living Medal of Honor Recipients - displayed extraordinary courage and selflessness during a fierce engagement near B**g Son, Republic of Vietnam.

As commander of Detachment A-321, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Davis led a small team of U.S. advisors and the Vietnamese 883rd Regional Force Company on its first combat mission: a high-risk nighttime raid against a heavily fortified Viet Cong Regional Headquarters. His leadership enabled the element of surprise, resulting in over 100 enemy combatants killed.

But it was during the chaotic aftermath - while returning from the raid -that Davis’s character and valor shined most brightly.

Ambushed by a superior enemy force, Davis refused to be deterred. He exposed himself to relentless small arms fire to organize the disoriented company, direct fire support, and personally aid the wounded. Despite being shot in the leg, Davis declined medical evacuation and continued fighting alongside his men.

At one point, he called in artillery fire within 30 meters of his own position to suppress the enemy advance. Then, in an act of unflinching bravery, he sprinted across open terrain under heavy fire to rescue his team sergeant, seriously wounded and pinned down. While carrying him to safety, Davis was wounded again. Still, he stayed in the fight, refusing to leave the battlefield.

Even after reinforcements arrived, Davis would not depart until he located another U.S. advisor previously presumed dead. He found him clinging to life, directed his medical extraction, and remained until every one of his men was accounted for.

It took nearly 60 years for Paris Davis to be formally recognized with the Medal of Honor, a delay that does not diminish the magnitude of his heroism, but rather underscores the importance of telling and preserving these stories with the honor they are due.

Preserving stories like Davis’s is essential to honor the sacrifice and to inspire future generations with examples of valor, integrity, and service. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society is committed to ensuring these incredible acts of bravery are never forgotten and continue to serve as a beacon of hope and resilience for our nation.