The time is right to honor the Vietnam War’s most secret warriors

READ OF THE DAY

The time is right to honor the Vietnam War’s most secret warriors
By Col. Paris Davis
Wednesday, Aug 30
A Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group, or MACV-SOG, veteran, listens to active service members with 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) as part of the MACV-SOG Heritage Week, Fort Bragg N.C., Nov. 9, 2021.
A Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group, or MACV-SOG, veteran, listens to active service members with 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) as part of the MACV-SOG Heritage Week, Fort Bragg N.C., Nov. 9, 2021. (Sgt. Gavin J. Lewis/Army)

The nation is commemorating the 50th anniversary of America’s withdrawal from Vietnam through Veterans Day 2025, per presidential decree. But we cannot allow any lingering ambivalence on the legacy of the war — or anything else — to further delay honoring the extraordinary contributions of our most covert warriors of that era.

When I recently received the Medal of Honor for the 19-hour battle my Army Special Forces unit fought in Bong Son, Vietnam in 1965, President Joe Biden said, “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk SGT Charlie Lee] Sgt (Join to see) PV2 Larry Sellnow SPC (Join to see) Amn Dale Preisach SGT Ruben Lozada 1SG Patrick Burke PO2 Marco Monsalve Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Kim Patterson] SFC Ralph E Kelley SPC (Join to see) SSG William Jones LCpl James Klinicki Maj Ronald Scarpa SPC Robert Coventry