(NewsNation) — Four Vietnam War veterans were given the nation’s highest military honor on Tuesday by President Joe Biden.
Biden presented the Medal of Honor to the late Staff Sgt. Edward N. Kaneshiro, Spc. Five Dwight W. Birdwell, Spc. Five Dennis M. Fujii and retired Maj. John J. Duffy.
“It’s just astounding when you hear what each of them have done,” Biden said. “They went far above and beyond the call of duty. It’s a phrase always used but … it takes on life when you see these men.”
Speaking on NewsNation’s “Morning in America,” Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said these veterans’ acts of heroism should motivate the next generation of people who want to serve in the military.
“These are the examples, the role models that we need, at a time when it’s really hard to find them in Washington,” he said. “It’s a good reminder of what our independence is really all about and the men and women who stood on the line to preserve it for decades.”