Paris Davis

Paris D. Davis (born 13 May 1939) is a retired United States Army officer who received the Medal of Honor on 3 March 2023 for his actions on 18 June 1965 during the Vietnam War.

He was twice previously nominated for the Medal of Honor, but both times the paperwork relating to his nomination disappeared.

Davis, then a captain with the 5th Special Forces Group, was instead awarded the Silver Star.

Davis was commissioned as a Reserve Component officer on 1 June 1959, and earned Airborne and Ranger qualifications in 1960, and Special Forces qualification in 1962.

His initial overseas tours included South Korea, South Vietnam (1962–1963) and Okinawa, Japan.

Davis arrived for his second tour in South Vietnam in April 1965 and took command of the 5th Special Forces Groups Team A-321 at Camp Bồng Sơn (14.417°N, 109.003°W), Bình Định Province, II Corps.

On 18 June 1965, Davis and three of his Special Forces team led the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 883rd Regional Forces Company in an attack on a Viet Cong (VC) base.

The following account was written by Davis:

We had just finished a successful raid on a Viet Cong Regimental Headquarters, killing upwards of one hundred of the enemy.

The raid had started shortly after midnight.

We had four Americans and the 883rd Vietnamese Regional Force Company participating in the raid.

After the raid was completed the first platoon of the 883rd Company broke and started to run just about the same time I gave the signal to pull in the security guarding the river bank.

I went after the lead platoon, MSG Billy Waugh was with the second platoon, SSG David Morgan was with the third platoon and SP-1 Brown was with the fourth platoon.

It was just beginning to get light (dawn) when I caught up to the first platoon and got them organized and we were hit by automatic machine gun fire.

It was up front and the main body of the platoon was hit by the machine gun.

I was hit in the hand by a fragment from a hand grenade.

About the time I started moving the platoon back to the main body, I heard firing and saw a wounded friendly VN soldier running from the direction of the firing.

He told me that the remainder of the 883rd Company was under attack.

I moved the platoon I had back towards the main body.

When I reached the company, the enemy had it pinned down in an open field with automatic weapons and mortar fire.

I immediately ordered the platoon I had to return the fire, but they did not – only a few men fired.

I started firing at the enemy moving up and down the line, encouraging the 883rd Company to return the fire.

We started to receive fire from the right flank.

I ran down to where the firing was and found five Viet Cong coming over the trench line.

I killed all five and then I heard firing from the left flank.

I ran down there and saw about six Viet Cong moving toward our position.

I threw a grenade and killed four of them.

My M16 jammed, so I shot one with my pistol and hit the other with my M16 again and again until he was dead.

MSG Waugh started to yell that he had been shot in the foot.

I ran to the middle of the open field and tried to get MSG Waugh, but the Viet Cong automatic fire was too intense and I had to move back to safety.

By this time SSG Morgan, who was at the edge of the open field, came to.

He had been knocked out by a VC mortar round.

He told me that he was receiving sniper fire.

I spotted the sniper and shot him in his camouflaged manhole.

I crawled over and dropped a grenade in the hole killing two additional Viet Cong.

I was able at this time to make contact with the FAC CPT Bronson and SGT Ronald Dies.

CPT Bronson diverted a flight of 105's and had them drop their bombs on the enemy's position.

I ran out and pulled SSG Morgan to safety.

He subsequently commanded the 10th Special Forces Group.

Davis studied political science at Southern University at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on a Reserve Officers' Training Corps scholarship.