Ngesikhathi izinkambo zakhe ezine eVietnam, amabutho amakhulu uJohn J. Duffy wayevame ukulwa ngemuva kwezintambo zesitha. Ngesikhathi sokuthunyelwa okunjalo, wasindisa ngampela iBaetnamese Battalion ekubulaweni. Ngemuva kweminyaka engamashumi amahlanu, isiphambano esivikelekile asithola ngalezi zenzo sathuthukiswa saya kwi-Medal of Honor.
UDuffy wazalwa ngoMashi 16, 1938 eBrooklyn, eNew York futhi wabhalwa empini ngoMashi 1955 eneminyaka engu-17. Ngo-1963, wagqugquzelwa e-Elite 5th Prodes unit, ama-Green Berets.
Ngesikhathi somsebenzi wakhe, uDuffy wathunyelwa eVietnam amahlandla amane: Ngo-1967, 1968, 1971 nango-1971 nango-1973. Ngesikhathi senkonzo yakhe yesithathu, wathola indondo yodumo.
Ekuqaleni kuka-Ephreli 1972, uDuffy wayengumeluleki omkhulu e-Elite Battalion eSouth Vietnamese Army. Lapho iNorth Vietnamese izama ukubamba isisekelo sokuxhaswa komlilo kaCharlie ezindaweni eziphakeme eziphakathi nendawo, amadoda kaDuffy ayalwa ukuba ayeke amabutho weBattalion.
Njengoba okuhlaselayo kusondela ekupheleni kwesonto lesibili, umkhuzi waseVietnam osebenza noDuffy wabulawa, kwacekelwa phansi indawo yokulandisa kweBattalion, futhi ukudla, amanzi nezinhlamvu kwakuphansi. UDuffy walinyazwa kabili kodwa wenqaba ukukhishwa.
Emaholeni okuqala ka-14 Ephreli, uDuffy wazama ngokungaphumeleli ukusetha isayithi lokufika kwendiza ephindelela kabusha. Ukuqhubekela phambili, wakwazi ukusondela ezikhundleni zezitha ezilwa nezindiza, kubangele ukushaya komoya. UMajor walinyazwa okwesithathu ngezingcezwana, kepha waphinde wenqaba ukunakekelwa kwezokwelashwa.
Kungekudala ngemuva kwalokho, iNyakatho Vietnamese yaqala ukuqhuma kwamabhomu abuciko. UDuffy usaqhubeka nokuvulwa ukuqondisa ukuthi sihlasele izindiza ezinophephela emhlane ezikhundleni zezitha ukumisa ukuhlaselwa. Lapho le mpumelelo iholela ekutheni iye ekulweni nasekulweni, okukhulu kwahlonza umonakalo waya ku-Base futhi kwaqinisekiswa ukuthi amasosha aseNingizimu Afrika alimala ashukumiseleka ezokuphepha. Ubuye waqinisekisa ukusabalalisa izinhlamvu ezisele kulabo abasakwazi ukuvikela isisekelo.
Kungekudala ngemuva kwalokho, isitha saqala ukuhlasela futhi. UDaffy waqhubeka nokubafulathela kusuka kubhamu. Kusihlwa, amasosha ezitha aqala ukufudukela phansi ezisekelweni ezivela kuzo zonke izinhlangothi. UDuffy kwadingeka asuswe esikhundleni ukuze aqonde ngqo ekubuyiseni umlilo, akhombe amathagethi e-Artillery Spotters, futhi aqondise ngisho nomlilo ovela esibhamu esimweni sakhe, esasihlehlisiwe.
Ngokushona kobusuku kwakucacile ukuthi uDuffy futhi amadoda akhe azohlulwa. Waqala ukuhlela ukubuyela emuva, ukubiza ukusekelwa kwezibhamu ngaphansi komlilo wesembozo sikaDusty Cyanide, futhi kwaba ngowokugcina ukushiya isisekelo.
Ekuseni ngakusasa, izitha ziphoqa ukuthi waqalisa amasosha aseNingizimu Afrika asele aseNingizimuranali, adale ukulimala okwengeziwe nokuhlakazeka kwamadoda anamandla. UDuffy wathatha izikhundla zokuzivikela ukuze amadoda akhe abuyele emuva esitha. Wabe esehola labo abahlala - abaningi babo balimaza kabi - endaweni yokuphuma, njengoba nje isitha saqhubeka nokubasukela.
Ukufika endaweni yokuphuma, uDuffy wayala i-helikopta ehlomile ukuze avule umlilo futhi esitha futhi waphawula indawo yokuhamba enophephela emhlane. UDuffy wenqabile ukugibela enye yezindiza ezinophephela emhlane aze afike komunye umuntu. Ngokusho kombiko weSan Diego Union-Tribune-Tribune-Off, lapho uDuffy elinganisa esigxotsheni ngesikhathi sokukhipha indiza yakhe enophephela emhlane, wamsusa wamdonsela phansi, wabe esesizwa yilowo odubula umnyango wendiza enophephela emhlane, owalimala ngesikhathi sokuphuma.
UDuffy ekuqaleni wanikezwa isiphambano esehlukanisiwe sezenzo ezingenhla, noma kunjalo lo mklomelo usanda kuthuthukiswa kwi-Medal of Honor. UDuffy, 84, kanye nomfowabo uTow, uthole umklomelo wezwe ophakeme kunabo bonke ebukhosini bezempi okuvela kuMengameli uJoseph R. Briden emcimbini emcimbini we-White House ngoJulayi 5, 2022.
"Kubonakala sengathi kuyamangalisa ukuthi cishe babantu abangama-40 ngaphandle kokudla, amanzi nezinhlamvu kusaphila phakathi kwamaqembu ezitha ababulala," kusho iPhini lamasosha Induna yabasebenzi, uJoseph M. Martin emcimbini. Kubandakanya ucingo lokushaya endaweni yakhe uqobo ukuvumela ibhesha lakhe ukuthi libuyele emuva, lenze ukuba abaleke. Abafowethu baseVietnam abangama-stuffy abakhulu ... bakholelwa ukuthi wasindisa ibheyili yabo ekuqothulweni ngokuphelele. "
Ngokubambisana noDuffy, ama-servicesen amathathu aseVietnamese, amabutho akhethekile amabutho, anikezwa indondo. UDennis M. Fujii, abasebenzi bezempi SGT. U-Edward N. Kanenisho kanye ne-Army SPC. 5 UDwight birdwell.
UDuffy uthathe umhlalaphansi ngoMeyi 1977. Eminyakeni engama-22 yenkonzo, wathola eminye imiklomelo nomehluko, kufaka phakathi izinhliziyo eziyisishiyagalombili ezibubende.
Ngemuva kokuthatha umhlalaphansi omkhulu, wathuthela eSanta Cruz, eCalifornia futhi ekugcineni wahlangana futhi washada nowesifazane ogama lakhe linguMariya. Njengomphakathi, wayengumongameli wenkampani eshicilelayo ngaphambi kokuba abe yisitoko futhi asungule inkampani yabathengisi yesaphulelo, ekugcineni yatholwa yi-TD Ameritrade.
UDuffy futhi waba yimbongi, echaza ezinye zezinto zakhe zokulwa emibhalweni yakhe, edlula ezindabeni ezizukulwaneni ezizayo. Izinkondlo zakhe eziningi zishicilelwe online. UMajor wabhala izincwadi eziyisithupha zezinkondlo futhi waqokwa umklomelo wePulitzer.
Inkondlo ebhalwe nguDuffy enesihloko esithi "I-Frontline Air Traffic Translers" ifakwa esikhumbuzweni eColorado Springs, eColorado ehlonipha izisulu zezilawuli zethrafikhi zomoya we-frontline. Ngokusho kwewebhusayithi kaDuffy, wabhala ne-Requiem, eyayifundwa embusweni wesikhumbuzo. Kamuva, kwanezelwa imali eyisisekelo engxenyeni ethile yesikhumbuzo sebhulobi.
I-Colonel Colonel Colonel Reeder Reeder, Jr., AmaVeterans abhale incwadi eyingqayizivele Imininingwane yencwadi uDuffy's Exploits emkhankasweni we-1972.
Ngokusho kwewebhusayithi ye-Duffy, uyilungu elisunguliwe lenhlangano ekhethekile yempi futhi yafakwa ehholo le-OCS le-OCS odumo eFort Hamber, eGeorgia ngo-2013.
UMnyango Wezokuvikela unikeza amandla ezempi adingekayo ukuvikela impi futhi agcine izwe lethu liphephile.
Isikhathi Seposi: Nov-16-2022
