Phakathi nohambo lwakhe olune oluya eVietnam, uMajor Wezempi uJohn J. Duffy wayevame ukulwa ngemuva kwemigqa yesitha. Ngesikhathi sokuthunyelwa okunjalo, wasindisa ibutho laseNingizimu Vietnam eyedwa ekubulaweni kwabantu abaningi. Eminyakeni engamashumi amahlanu kamuva, iSiphambano Senkonzo Esihloniphekile asithola ngenxa yalezi zenzo sathuthukiswa saba yiMedal of Honor.
UDuffy wazalwa ngoMashi 16, 1938 eBrooklyn, eNew York futhi wabhaliswa ebuthweni lezempi ngoMashi 1955 eneminyaka engu-17. Ngo-1963, wakhushulelwa esikhundleni sokuba yisikhulu futhi wajoyina i-5th Special Forces Unit, i-Green Berets.
Ngesikhathi somsebenzi wakhe, uDuffy wathunyelwa eVietnam izikhathi ezine: ngo-1967, 1968, 1971 nango-1973. Ngesikhathi senkonzo yakhe yesithathu, wathola iMedal of Honor.
Ekuqaleni kuka-Ephreli 1972, uDuffy wayengumeluleki omkhulu webutho eliphakeme eButhweni LaseSouth Vietnamese. Lapho abantu baseNyakatho Vietnam bezama ukuthumba isikhungo sikaCharlie sokusekela umlilo ezindaweni eziphakeme eziphakathi nezwe, amadoda kaDuffy ayalwa ukuba amise amabutho ebutho.
Njengoba ukuhlasela kusondela ekupheleni kwesonto lesibili, umlawuli waseNingizimu Vietnam owayesebenza noDuffy wabulawa, isiteshi somyalo webutho lamasosha sabhujiswa, futhi ukudla, amanzi, nezinhlamvu kwase kunciphile. UDuffy walimala kabili kodwa wenqaba ukukhishwa.
Emahoreni okuqala ka-14 Ephreli, uDuffy wazama kodwa wehluleka ukusungula indawo yokufika yezindiza ezizophinde zifakelwe izimpahla. Eqhubeka, wakwazi ukusondela ezindaweni zokulwa nezindiza zesitha, okwabangela ukuhlaselwa emoyeni. Isikhulu samasosha salimala okwesithathu yizicucu zezibhamu, kodwa saphinde senqaba ukwelashwa.
Ngemva nje kwalokho, iNyakatho Vietnamese yaqala ukuhlasela ngezibhamu enkanjini. UDuffy wahlala evulekile ukuze aqondise izindiza ezinophephela emhlane zase-US ezindaweni zesitha ukuze amise ukuhlasela. Lapho le mpumelelo iholela ekuthuleni kwempi, umphathi omkhulu wahlola umonakalo enkanjini futhi waqinisekisa ukuthi amasosha aseNingizimu Vietnam alimele athuthelwa endaweni ephephile. Waqinisekisa futhi ukuthi usabalalisa izinhlamvu ezisele kulabo ababesakwazi ukuvikela inkambi.
Ngemva nje kwalokho, isitha saqala ukuhlasela futhi. UDaffy waqhubeka nokubadubula esesikebheni. Kusihlwa, amasosha esitha aqala ukutheleka esikhungweni evela nhlangothi zonke. UDuffy kwadingeka asuke endaweni aye kwenye ukuze alungise ukudubula okuphindiselayo, athole izinhloso zababona izikhali, futhi aqondise ukudubula okuvela esikebheni esisendaweni yakhe, esasisengozini.
Kwathi sekuhlwile kwacaca ukuthi uDuffy namadoda akhe bazonqotshwa. Waqala ukuhlela ukubuyela emuva, ecela ukwesekwa kwemikhumbi yempi ngaphansi komlilo kaDusty Cyanide, futhi waba ngowokugcina ukuphuma enkanjini.
Ekuseni ngakusasa, amabutho esitha ahlasela amasosha aseNingizimu Vietnam ayesehlehla, okwabangela ukulimala okwengeziwe nokuhlakazeka kwamadoda anamandla. UDuffy wathatha izindawo zokuzivikela ukuze amadoda akhe akwazi ukuxosha isitha. Wabe esehola labo abasele—abaningi babo abalimele kabi—abayisa endaweni yokuphuma, ngisho nalapho isitha siqhubeka nokubaxosha.
Efika endaweni yokukhululwa, uDuffy wayala indiza ehlomile ukuthi ivule futhi isitha futhi wamaka indawo yokufika yendiza yokutakula. UDuffy wenqaba ukugibela enye yezindiza kuze kube yilapho bonke abanye sebegibele. Ngokusho kombiko wokukhululwa weSan Diego Union-Tribune, ngesikhathi uDuffy ehleli esigxotsheni ngesikhathi sokukhululwa kwendiza yakhe, wasindisa i-paratrooper yaseNingizimu Vietnam eyayiqale ukuwa endizeni, wayibamba wayidonsela emuva, wabe esesizwa ngumuntu owayedubula emnyango wendiza, owalimala ngesikhathi sokukhululwa.
Ekuqaleni uDuffy wanikezwa i-Distinguished Service Cross ngenxa yezenzo ezingenhla, nokho lo mklomelo usanda kukhushulelwa kuMedal of Honor. UDuffy, oneminyaka engu-84, kanye nomfowabo uTom, bathole umklomelo kazwelonke ophakeme kakhulu ngenxa yobuqhawe bezempi kuMongameli uJoseph R. Biden emcimbini owawuseWhite House ngoJulayi 5, 2022.
“Kubonakala kungakholeki ukuthi abantu abangaba ngu-40 abangenakho ukudla, amanzi nezinhlamvu basaphila phakathi kwamaqembu okubulala isitha,” kusho iPhini leNhloko Yezisebenzi Zebutho uJenene Joseph M. Martin emcimbini. Kuhlanganisa nokubizwa kokuhlasela esikhundleni sakhe ukuze kuvunyelwe ibutho lakhe ukuba lihoxe, kwenze kwaba nokwenzeka ukubaleka. Abafowabo bakaMajor Duffy baseVietnam ... bakholelwa ukuthi usindise ibutho labo ekubhujisweni okuphelele.”
Kanye noDuffy, amanye amasosha amathathu aseVietnam, amabutho akhethekile empi, anikezwe indondo. 5 UDennis M. Fujii, uSgt. Edward N. Kaneshiro kanye noDwight Birdwell we-Army Spc. 5.
UDuffy wathatha umhlalaphansi ngoMeyi 1977. Phakathi neminyaka yakhe engama-22 yokusebenza, wathola eminye imiklomelo kanye nezindondo ezingama-63, okuhlanganisa nezinhliziyo eziyisishiyagalombili zePurple Hearts.
Ngemva kokuba uMajor esethathe umhlalaphansi, wathuthela eSanta Cruz, eCalifornia futhi ekugcineni wahlangana nowesifazane ogama lakhe linguMary futhi washada naye. Njengomuntu ovamile, wayengumongameli wenkampani yokushicilela ngaphambi kokuba abe ngumthengisi wamasheya futhi wasungula inkampani yokuhweba ngesaphulelo, eyagcina itholwe yi-TD Ameritrade.
UDuffy naye waba yimbongi, echaza ezinye zezinto ahlangabezane nazo empini emibhalweni yakhe, edlulisela izindaba ezizukulwaneni ezizayo. Izinkondlo zakhe eziningi zishicilelwe ku-inthanethi. UMajor wabhala izincwadi eziyisithupha zezinkondlo futhi waqokwa kuMklomelo wePulitzer.
Inkondlo ebhalwe nguDuffy enesihloko esithi “Frontline Air Traffic Controllers” iqoshwe esikhumbuzweni eColorado Springs, eColorado ehlonipha izisulu zabalawuli bezindiza abangaphambili. Ngokusho kwewebhusayithi kaDuffy, wabhala ne-Requiem, eyafundwa ekwembulweni kwesikhumbuzo. Kamuva, i-Requiem yanezelwa engxenyeni ephakathi yesikhumbuzo sethusi.
UColonel William Reeder, Jr., owayesethathe umhlalaphansi ebuthweni lezempi wabhala incwadi ethi Extraordinary Valor: Fighting for Charlie Hill in Vietnam. Le ncwadi ichaza kabanzi ngezenzo zikaDuffy emkhankasweni ka-1972.
Ngokusho kwewebhusayithi kaDuffy, uyilungu elisungule i-Special Warfare Association futhi wafakwa e-OCS Infantry Hall of Fame eFort Benning, eGeorgia ngo-2013.
UMnyango Wezokuvikela unikeza amandla ezempi adingekayo ukuvimbela impi nokugcina izwe lethu liphephile.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Novemba-16-2022
