Retired U.S. Army Colonel Paris Davis Honored with Medal of Honor by President Biden at White House Ceremony

The White House honored retired U.S. Army Colonel Paris Davis with the Medal of Honor on Friday for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War nearly 60 years ago. President Biden presented the award to Davis at a ceremony at the White House, attended by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough.

Davis, who was a captain at the time, distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while he was a commander of a special forces group during combat with the enemy over two days in June of 1965.

During the course of 20 hours, Davis saved the lives of his troops on the battlefield in Vietnam and ignored an order to evacuate until all of his teammates were extracted from intense fighting.

“This may be the most consequential day since I’ve been president,” the president said. “Paris, you are everything this medal means.”

The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for valor and Davis’ nomination for the award mysteriously vanished twice at the height of the civil rights movement. The White House’s recognition of Davis’ heroism comes almost 60 years after the actions that earned him the award.