Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the heroic service of U.S. Army Retired Special Forces Major John J. Duffy. Recently, Major Duffy was recognized as a recipient of the Medal of Honor--not just for his service, but for his gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. A resident of my district in Santa Cruz, California, Major Duffy served four combat tours in Vietnam, oftentimes operating well behind the enemy lines. Throughout his time in the military, he was the recipient of 64 awards and decorations, 29 of which are for valor. Recently at a ceremony at the White House, Major Duffy received the Medal of Honor from President Joe Biden. The medal was in recognition of his actions on April 14 and 15, 1972, when Major Duffy was the adviser for the 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division for the Republic of Vietnam. Over those 2 days, Major Duffy valiantly defended Fire Support Base Charlie against an attack from a battalion-sized group of the enemy. During the battle Major Duffy took charge after his CO was killed in action. Despite constant attacks by the enemy and being shot multiple times, he refused to leave, and he returned enemy fire as he tended to his wounded soldiers. During the eventual evacuation of the base, he led the operation and continued to tend to his soldiers who were wounded in action. He finally left the base, but he was the last man to do so.…”