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John Joseph Duffy (born 16 March 1938) is a retired United States Army major who was awarded the Medal of Honor on 5 July 2022, for his actions during the Vietnam War. Military career [ edit ] Duffy joined the United States Army in March 1955.
John J. Duffy rose from sergeant to major while serving in special operations groups including the 5th Special Forces Group in the U.S. Army. He served four combat tours in Vietnam, where he...
- The Battle
- No Man Left Behind
- An Upgraded Honor
- From Warrior to Poet
In early April 1972, Duffy was a senior advisor to an elite battalion of the South Vietnamese army. When North Vietnamese forces tried to overrun Fire Support Base Charlie in the country's Central Highlands, Duffy's soldiers were tasked with holding off the battalion-sized unit. As the offensive neared the end of its second week, the South Vietname...
By the evening, it was clear that Duffy and his men would be overrun. He started organizing a retreat, and, under the code name Dusty Cyanide, he continued calling in gunship support for cover fire and was the last man to leave the base. Early the next morning, the enemy ambushed the remaining South Vietnamese soldiers as they retreated, causing ad...
Duffy initially received the Distinguished Service Cross for the actions described above; however, that honor was recently upgraded to the Medal of Honor. With his brother, Tom, by his side, the now-84-year-old Duffy received the nation's highest award for military valor from President Joseph R. Biden during a White House ceremony on July 5, 2022. ...
Duffy retired in May 1977. During his 22 years of service, he received 63 other awards and decorations, including eight purple hearts. The major moved to Santa Cruz, California, after his retirement and eventually met and married a woman named Mary. As a civilian, he was the president of a publishing company before becoming a stockbroker and foundi...
Jul 17, 2022 · John J. Duffy is a retired Green Beret who wrote a poem about his epic battle at Fire Base Charlie in 1972. He received the Medal of Honor from President Biden in 2022 and shares his story and poem with CBS News.
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, 2d Brigade, Airborne Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam in the Republic of Vietnam, during the period of 14 to 15 April 1972.
John J. Duffy was a major in the U.S. Army who served in the Vietnam War and received the Medal of Honor for his actions in 1972. He defended, evacuated, and led a firebase under heavy enemy attack, despite being wounded twice and refusing medical evacuation.
Jul 21, 2022 · Maj. John J. Duffy distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, while assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group and serving as a senior advisor...
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