Phakathi nohambo lwakhe olune lokuya eVietnam, uMajor General John J. Duffy wayevame ukulwa elandela imigqa yezitha. Ngesikhathi sokuthunyelwa okunjalo, wasindisa yedwa ibutho laseNingizimu Vietnam ekubulaweni kwabantu. Eminyakeni engamashumi amahlanu kamuva, iSiphambano Senkonzo Evelele asithola ngenxa yalezi zenzo sathuthukiswa saba yiNdondo Yokuhlonishwa.
U-Duffy wazalwa ngo-March 16, 1938 e-Brooklyn, eNew York futhi wabhalisa eButhweni Lezempi ngo-March 1955 eneminyaka engu-17. Ngo-1963, wakhushulelwa esikhundleni sokuba yisikhulu futhi wajoyina i-elite 5th Special Forces Unit, i-Green Berets.
Phakathi nomsebenzi wakhe, uDuffy wathunyelwa eVietnam izikhathi ezine: ngo-1967, 1968, 1971 kanye no-1973. Phakathi nenkonzo yakhe yesithathu, wathola iMedal of Honor.
Ekuqaleni kuka-April 1972, uDuffy wayengumeluleki omkhulu webutho elikhethekile eButhweni Lezempi laseNingizimu Vietnam. Ngenkathi abaseNyakatho neVietnam bezama ukuthatha isizinda sokusekela umlilo sikaCharlie ezindaweni eziphakeme ezimaphakathi nezwe, amadoda kaDuffy ayalwa ukuba amise amabutho ebutho.
Njengoba ukuhlasela kusondela ekupheleni kwesonto lesibili, umkhuzi waseNingizimu Vietnam osebenza noDuffy wabulawa, ibutho lebutho lacekelwa phansi, nokudla, amanzi, nezinhlamvu kuncipha. UDuffy walimala kabili kodwa wenqaba ukukhishwa.
Ekuseni ngo-Ephreli 14, uDuffy wazama kodwa wehluleka ukumisa indawo okuzofikela kuyo izindiza. Eqhubekela phambili, wakwazi ukusondela eduze kwezindawo ezilwa nesitha, okubangela isiteleka somoya. Umphathi walinyazwa okwesithathu izingcezwana zezibhamu, kodwa waphinde wenqaba ukunakwa.
Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, iNorth Vietnamese yaqala ukuqhuma kwamabhomu esisekelo. UDuffy wahlala obala ukuze aqondise izindiza ezinophephela emhlane zase-US ziye ezindaweni zezitha ukuze amise ukuhlasela. Lapho le mpumelelo iholela ekulweni, omkhulu wahlola umonakalo esisekelweni futhi waqinisekisa ukuthi amasosha aseNingizimu Vietnam alimele athuthelwa ekuphepheni okulinganiselwe. Uphinde wenza isiqiniseko sokuthi lezi zinhlamvu ezisele uzinikeza labo abasakwazi ukuvikela isizinda.
Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, isitha saqala ukuhlasela futhi. UDaffy uqhubekile wadubula ebhekise kubo esemotweni yesibhamu. Kusihlwa, amasosha ezitha aqala ukuthutheleka enkabeni evela nhlangothi zonke. U-Duffy kwadingeka ukuthi asuke esikhundleni aye kwesinye ukuze alungise umlilo, akhombe izindawo okwakuhloswe kuzo izimbangi zezikhali, futhi ngisho nokudubula okuqondile kusuka kunqola yesibhamu endaweni yakhe, eyayisengozini.
Kwathi sekuhwalala kwacaca ukuthi uDuffy namadoda akhe bazohlulwa. Waqala ukuhlela ukuhlehla, ebiza ukusekelwa kwezibhamu ngaphansi komlilo wekhava we-Dusty Cyanide, futhi waba ngowokugcina ukushiya isisekelo.
Ekuseni ngakusasa, amabutho ezitha aqamekela amasosha aseNingizimu Vietnam ayesehlehla, kwabangela ukulimala okwengeziwe nokuhlakazeka kwamadoda anamandla. U-Duffy uthathe izikhundla zokuzivikela ukuze amadoda akhe akwazi ukushayela isitha. Wabe esehola labo ababesele—abaningi kubo ababelimele kabi—wabayisa endaweni yokubalekela, njengoba nje isitha sasiqhubeka sibaxosha.
Lapho efika endaweni yokuphuma, u-Duffy wayala indiza enophephela emhlane ehlomile ukuthi ivulele ngenhlamvu futhi esitheni futhi imake indawo yokuhlala indiza enophephela emhlane yokuhlenga. UDuffy wenqaba ukugibela enye yezindiza ezinophephela emhlane kuze kube yilapho wonke umuntu egibela. Ngokombiko we-San Diego Union-Tribune evacuation report, ngesikhathi uDuffy ebhalansisa esigxotsheni ngesikhathi kukhishwa indiza enophephela emhlane, wahlenga i-paratrooper yaseNingizimu Vietnam eyayiqale ukuwa endizeni enophephela emhlane, yambamba yambuyisela emuva, wabe esesizwa. ngumshayeli wesibhamu esicabheni sendiza enophephela emhlane, owalimala ngesikhathi kukhishwa .
U-Duffy ekuqaleni waklonyeliswa ngeSiphambano Senkonzo Evelele ngenxa yalezi zenzo ezingenhla, nokho lo mklomelo usanda kuthuthukiswa waba yiNdondo Yokuhlonishwa. UDuffy, 84, kanye nomfowabo uTom, bathole umklomelo wezwe lonke wokuba nekhono kwezempi kuMongameli uJoseph R. Biden emcimbini owawuseWhite House ngoJulayi 5, 2022.
"Kubonakala kumangalisa ukuthi cishe abantu abangu-40 abangenakho ukudla, amanzi nezinhlamvu basaphila phakathi kwamaqembu ezitha ezibulalayo," kusho iPhini Lesikhulu Sebutho Lezempi UJenene uJoseph M. Martin emcimbini. okuhlanganisa nokubizelwa ukuba agadle esikhundleni sakhe ukuze avumele ibutho lakhe ukuba lihlehle, kwenze ukubaleka kwaba nokwenzeka. Abafowabo bakaMajor Duffy baseVietnam … bakholwa ukuthi usindise ibutho labo ekubhujisweni ngokuphelele.”
Kanye noDuffy, amasosha amathathu aseVietnam, amabutho akhethekile, aklonyeliswa ngendondo. 5 Dennis M. Fujii, Isikhulu Sebutho Lempi Sgt. Edward N. Kaneshiro kanye ne-Army Spc. 5 U-Dwight Birdwell.
UDuffy wathatha umhlalaphansi ngoMeyi 1977. Phakathi neminyaka yakhe engu-22 yenkonzo, wathola ezinye imiklomelo engama-63 nezindondo, kuhlanganise neziyisishiyagalombili ezithi Purple Hearts.
Ngemva kokuthatha umhlalaphansi uMajoro, wathuthela eSanta Cruz, eCalifornia futhi ekugcineni wahlangana futhi washada nowesifazane ogama lakhe linguMary. Njengomuntu oyisakhamuzi, wayengumongameli wenkampani yokushicilela ngaphambi kokuba abe umthengisi wamasheya futhi asungule inkampani yokuhweba ngesaphulelo, eyagcina itholwe yi-TD Ameritrade.
UDuffy wabuye waba yimbongi, echaza ezinye zezinto zakhe zokulwa emibhalweni yakhe, edlulisela izindaba ezizukulwaneni ezizayo. Izinkondlo zakhe eziningi zishicilelwe ku-inthanethi. UMajor wabhala izincwadi eziyisithupha zezinkondlo futhi waqokelwa uMklomelo wePulitzer.
Inkondlo ebhalwe u-Duffy enesihloko esithi “Frontline Air Traffic Controllers” ibhalwe etsheni lesikhumbuzo e-Colorado Springs, e-Colorado ehlonipha izisulu zabalawuli bethrafikhi yezindiza ezihamba phambili. Ngokwe-website kaDuffy, uphinde wabhala incwadi ethi Requiem, eyafundwa ngesikhathi kwethulwa leli tshe lesikhumbuzo. Kamuva, i-Requiem yanezelwa engxenyeni emaphakathi yetshe lesikhumbuzo sethusi.
UColonel Wezempi Osewathatha Umhlalaphansi uWilliam Reeder, Jr., omakadebona babhala incwadi ethi Extraordinary Valor: Fighting for Charlie Hill in Vietnam. Le ncwadi ichaza ngezenzo zikaDuffy emkhankasweni wango-1972.
Ngokwesizindalwazi sikaDuffy, uyilungu elisungula i-Special Warfare Association futhi wangeniswa e-OCS Infantry Hall of Fame e-Fort Benning, e-Georgia ngo-2013.
UMnyango Wezokuvikela uhlinzeka ngamandla ezempi adingekayo ukuze kuvinjwe impi futhi kugcinwe izwe lethu liphephile.
Isikhathi sokuthumela: Nov-16-2022
