Every Weapon I Had: A Vietnam Vet’s Long Road to the Medal of Honor

The story of a Green Beret commander’s heroism during the Vietnam War, and the long fight to recognize his bravery.

When Col. Paris Davis was selected to lead one of the Green Beret A-teams organizing resistance to Communist incursions into South Vietnam, his commanding officer warned him that some of his soldiers would resent his authority. This was no surprise; there were only a handful of Black officers in the Special Forces. Davis quickly won the respect of his soldiers, and would soon fight beside him as bullets snapped past and mortars exploded overhead.

On June 18th, Davis led a group of inexperienced locals and Special Forces soldiers in an attack on a Viet Cong base in Bong Son. They were met by a superior enemy force, and Davis led the charge in a grueling firefight. He was seriously wounded, but he disobeyed a direct order to retreat until he dragged three injured Green Berets off the battlefield to safety.

Every Weapon I Had is an inspiring tale of valor and sacrifice, set against the backdrop of major escalations in both the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. It is also a story of deferred honor and delayed recognition; Davis earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions, but his nomination for the Congressional Medal of Honor was repeatedly ＂lost.＂ No official reason has ever been given for this oversight, but those who fought to correct it believe that it was motivated by racial prejudice. Davis was finally awarded the Medal in 2023, 58 years after the battle.

PARIS DAVIS is a former Green Beret and highly decorated veteran of U.S. Special Forces. After graduating from Airborne and Ranger Schools, he was selected for the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, serving first in Korea and then Vietnam. In 1965, he was promoted to captain as a detachment commander with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, becoming one of the first Black officers in Special Forces history. His nomination for the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1965 was ignored or misplaced at least three times for reasons unknown; his supporters believe racial prejudice was to blame. President Joe Biden awarded him the medal on March 3, 2023.