The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who have distinguished themselves through acts of valor at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in three different situations: (1) while fighting against an enemy of the United States, (2) while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or (3) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
Last year, retired Army Capt. Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor for his service during the Vietnam War. He was part of the special forces dispatched to Vietnam in 1965, and he led the 883rd Regional Force Company in a nighttime raid against a Viet Cong regional headquarters.
Initially successful in conducting the raid, a counterattack was launched against them leaving several of their company wounded, including Davis who was shot in the leg. Despite this handicap, he still led the artillery and small-arms fire, rallying his troops and providing a boost in morale as they continued to hold their position, awaiting reinforcements.
Being a commander of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Davis forged on and provided support in rescuing several of the wounded members of their unit, but refused to be medically evacuated himself, opting to stay behind and rescue his gravely injured team sergeant.
With incredible disregard for his own life, he crossed the open field with bullets raining over them, and rescued his team sergeant. In the process, Davis got wounded again from enemy fire but still refused to be evacuated, and continued leading their regional force company to fight off the Viet Cong forces until help arrived.
For a third time, Davis refused medical evacuation in order to rescue an advisor who was presumed to be dead after the initial ambush against their company. Not only that, Davis continued to be obstinate and refusing to leave the battlefield until everyone was securely recovered and evacuated.
Similar to the maritime tradition of "the captain goes down with the ship", Davis exemplified what it means to lead a company with bravery, determination, and a deep sense of responsibility and care for those under your command. Despite being wounded three times, he had the courage to press on and risk his life for his comrades-in-arms.
That alone would have been enough reason for him to be deserving of the award. However, he also led with great competence, proficiency, and skill, being able to repel the assaults from the opposing forces and buying enough time for reinforcements to arrive. Anyone in that situation may have been satisfied with simply rescuing whomever they can salvage from the fray. But Davis stayed until the very last second to ensure that he could save as many as possible.
If Davis had returned home and lived a normal life after that, then we can say he had already served his country well. But after 25 years of service in the Army, he pursued further education receiving a PhD, and then founded the Metro Herald newspaper, a means of supporting civil rights causes and the community in Alexandria, Virginia.
And all of this he did despite living in a time when discrimination against African-Americans was quite intense. He dutifully served his country and his fellow men, and continued to fight against injustice. We can say, his is a life well-lived.
(Image credit: Department of Defense)