Former Army Guardsmen Receives Medal of Honor

A soldier who would go on to serve in the National Guard was one of four Army veterans to receive the nation’s highest honor for valor July 5 for actions in Southeast Asia some 50 years ago. 

During a ceremony at the White House, President Joe Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to Spc. 5 Dennis Fujii, who served in the Hawaii Army Guard from 1979 to 1983, Spc. 5 Dwight Birdwell, Maj. John Duffy and Staff Sgt. Edward Kaneshiro, who died in battle and received it posthumously.

Each of the soldiers had their previous awards upgraded.

Fujii was in the midst of a rescue operation of South Vietnamese troops Feb. 18, 1971, when enemy fire brought his helicopter to the ground.

He scrambled off the helicopter with two other medics and sought cover in a nearby bunker. A mortar exploded near Fujii as he ran, injuring his shoulder. A second mortar strike sent shrapnel into his eyes. 

A second helicopter successfully evacuated all U.S. troops except for Fujii, who waved the chopper away for the safety of his fellow service members after the enemy concentrated gunfire at him.

For 17 hours, Fujii, “repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire as he left the security of his entrenchment to better observe enemy troop positions and to direct airstrikes against them,” according to his Distinguished Service Cross citation.

Finally, a helicopter rescued Fujii before enemy rounds forced it to crash-land at a friendly camp. 

Reflecting on his service years later, Fujii said he had no regrets about joining the military and fighting in Vietnam.

Fujii is one of at least 147 Medal of Honor recipients with service in the Guard. The number now includes 11 from Hawaii.