Tuesday 5 July 2022 07:36 PM Biden gives Medal of Honor to four hero Army veterans for their bravery during ... trends now The recipients of this year's Medal of Honor are four Vietnam War veterans who risked their lives to defend injured comrades. One soldier is receiving the honor from President Joe Biden posthumously. DWIGHT BIRDWELL Specialist Five Birdwell, 74, was born in Amarillo, Texas on January 19, 1948 and when he was just three moved to Bell, Oklahoma. He graduated from high school in 1966 and joined the U.S. Army, where he attained the rank of Specialist 5 in Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. Birdwell arrived in Vietnam in August 1967 and entered action during the Tet Offensive in January 1968 outside of Saigon. His unit bore the brunt of the initial attack, and Birdwell was wounded when saving his tank commander's life after he was incapacitated by the offensive. Specialist Five Dwight Birdwell is one of the four 2022 Medal of Honor recipients The soldier refused to evacuate and while under harassing fire, led a small group of defenders past the enemy force and engaged the enemy with hand grenades until reinforcements arrived. Birdwell continued to disrupt the assault while wounded until he was ordered to seek medical attention. Upon his honorable discharge on December 29, 1968, Birdwell returned to Oklahoma and earned his law degree. He went on to serve on the Cherokee Nation's Supreme Court from 1987-1999 and continues to practice law in Oklahoma City. Staff Sergeant Edward Kaneshiro is receiving his honor posthumously. He went missing in action and was declared dead from small arms fire on March 6, 1967 when he was 38-years-old EDWARD KANESHIRO Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro is receiving his honor posthumously. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 22, 1928, Kaneshiro enlisted in the Army and was deployed to Vietnam in July 1966. As of December 1, 1966, Kaneshiro served as squad leader with Troop C, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, near Phu Huu 2, Kim Son Valley, Republic of Vietnam. During a search and destroy mission, his team was attacked by North Vietnamese forces. Kaneshiro destroyed one group with rifle fire and two others with grenades. This led to the orderly extrication and reorganization of the platoon and a successful withdrawal from the village. Kaneshiro went missing in action and was declared dead from small arms fire during an action on March 6, 1967 when he was 38-years-old. JOHN DUFFY Major Duffy was born in New York City on March 16, 1938. He left high school to enlist in the Army after turning 17-years-old to become a paratrooper in the airborne service. After several years of enlisted service, Duffy graduated from Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1963 and became a company commander with the Berlin Brigade in Germany. He was deployed to a Special Forces camp close to the Northern Vietnamese border in January 1967 and served three combat tours of duty in Vietnam for a total of 100 combat missions. Major John Duffy refused to evacuate a combat zone near the Northern Vietnamese border, instead staying back to help wounded get out Duffy was serving as the senior advisor to the 11th Airborne Battalion, 2nd Brigade, Airborne Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam in April 1972 when he was wounded twice. Refusing evacuation, Duffy 'moved from position to position to adjust fire, spot targets for artillery and direct gunship fire,' according to his Medal of Honor citation. The assault continued overnight from April 14-15 as Duffy helped lead the wounded to an area where they were evacuated. The major remained in active service with the Army until May 31, 1977. He has received 29 awards for valor, including four Bronze Stars and eight purple hearts. Duffy ran an investment firm and a publishing company following the Vietnam War. He also authored books of poetry about his wartime service, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He currently lives in Santa Cruz, California. DENNIS M. FUJII Specialist Five Fujii is from Hanapepe, Hawaii. He was 21-years-old performing 'Dustoff' evacuation missions in Laos and South Vietnam when his medical detachment unit undertook fire from enemies on February 18-22, 1971. While another helicopter braved the heavy fire to rescue the stranded crew, Fugii remained behind to wave off another helicopter so it could reach safety. 'During that night and the next day, although wounded, he administered first aid to allied casualties,' Fujii's Medal of Honor citation reads. 'On the night of February 19, he called in American helicopter gunships to assist in repelling an enemy attack. For more than 17 hours, he repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire as he left the security of his entrenchment to better observe enemy troop positions and to direct air strikes against them until an American helicopter could attempt to airlift him from the area.' Fujii received a Silver Star, which was later upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross. After recovering from his injuries, Fujii went on to complete his tour of duty and joined the Army Reserve upon returning to Hawaii. Specialist Five Dennis Fujii was part of a medical detachment unit that underwent fire during missions in Laos and South Vietnam All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility