Retired Col. Paris Davis was one of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat. during his service, he displayed incredible heroics again and again. In fact, he was recommended for the nation’s highest award for bravery during the Vietnam War.
Nearly 60 years later, he still had not received the award he was due. The hard-earned recognition for the 83-year-old Virginia veteran was delayed for decades after his recommendation for the medal had been lost, resubmitted — and then lost again.
During the war, Davis risked his life to save his fellow men by fighting off the North Vietnamese. He deserved the honor he was recommended for, and it is hard to imagine that he was denied for so long.
While some argue that it was simply a matter of lost paperwork, others believe racism was to blame. Whatever the cause, Davis never spent much time dwelling on it. He was, however, pleased to finally receive the medal he was promised so long ago.
After a volunteer group of advocates began the long and difficult process of recreating and resubmitting the paperwork back In 2016, Paris was finally awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor this past year. Read the full story from the Associated Press here.
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