Retired Col. Roger Hugh Charles Donlon received the Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War 50 years ago. After him, there would be over 200 more medals awarded in the coming years.

Over 300 guests attended the event including family, current and former Green Berets, and other Medal of Honor recipients.

Donlon and other Green Berets of the 5th Special Forces Group were part of Operation Switchback, a U.S. plan to replace CIA operatives with Army special forces troops to help build a guerilla army ...

Capt. Roger Donlon, an Army Green Beret, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions after the Viet Cong tried to overrun his base in July 1964.

After completing Officer Candidate School, he earned his Green Beret and deployed with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

Donlon was given the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon Johnson on Dec. 5, 1964. A Green Beret, he was part of an operation to help build a guerilla army in Vietnam, Stars and Stripes reported.

Roger Donlon Born: January 30, 1934 War: Vietnam Rank: Captain, US Army Special Forces Detachment A-726 Location of action: Near Nam Dong, Republic of Vietnam Date of action: July 6, 1964 Medal ...

However, the print headline, “Roger Donlon, won Medal of Honor; at 89, ” was somewhat misleading. While it may seem a trivial point, the Medal of Honor is not won; rather, it is awarded.

Eventually, however, it became standard. “The Green Beret was originally designated in 1953 by Special Forces Major Herbert Brucker, a veteran of the OSS,” records note.

A burial service for Col. (ret.) Roger Donlon was held April 10, 2024, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Donlon was a Medal of Honor recipient and a Vietnam War Veteran who died on Jan. 25 at the age ...

Roger Donlon, first Medal of Honor recipient from Vietnam War, dies at 89 By Brian Murphy The Washington Post,Updated January 28, 2024, 11:58 a.m.

Roger Donlon, the first American to receive a Medal of Honor for heroism during the Vietnam War, died Thursday in Leavenworth, Kansas, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. He was 89.