Medal of Honor recipient shares his history of service
Spc. Dwight Birdwell, Medal of Honor recipient and a proud Cherokee-American, describes his time in Vietnam and shares what it was like to receive the Medal of Honor
Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell, who received the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam, said Thursday his day at the White House was an overwhelming and joyous event.
Birdwell said on "Fox & Friends" Thursday that he was happy to be present and honored the other men he served with. He was honored alongside Staff Sgt. Edward Kaneshiro, posthumously, Spc. Five Dennis M. Fujii and Maj. John J. Duffy.
"From time to time I thought, ‘Perhaps I’m having a dream,’ but if it is a dream, it’s been the longest one I’ve had. It’s continuing," Birdwell told host Brian Kilmeade.
LAST REMAINING WORLD WAR II MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT TO LIE IN HONOR AT US CAPITOL
In 1968, Birdwell’s unit was ambushed and endured the brunt of a major military assault. Birdwell took over a tank after evacuating his tank commander who had been shot.
He said he fought continuously until he ran out of ammunition. He then retrieved two machine guns from a helicopter that had crashed nearby and continued fighting until he again ran out of ammunition. He said his group did the best they could to resist the attack.
But when help arrived, Birdwell decided against evacuation.
"I still had enough in me to keep going, and I wasn’t going to stop," he said.
Birdwell, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, said serving in the military was something he had to do.
President Biden awards the Medal of Honor to Spc. Dwight Birdwell, who fought in the Vietnam War, during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House on July 5, 2022. (Kevin LaMarque/Reuters)
"I'm proud of the fact that I brought no dishonor to the Cherokee people as well as the citizens of the United States," he said.
"I did my duty. The men I was with that day did their duty."
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Birdwell said his service in the Army gave him friends and allowed him to go to college. He said it also instilled discipline and gave him an "immense sense of pride."
"It’s just been a real positive experience that for me, personally, is a testimony to the greatness of this country, taking care of its warriors and honoring its warriors as well," he said.
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