Command and General Staff College Foundation News Spring 2020 - 18

by Mark H. Wiggins, Managing Editor

Above left: Col. Donlon's feature photo on the Congressional Medal of Honor website taken at the time of his ceremony in 1964. Center: President Johnson
delivers remarks as Donlon, back right stands at attention. Right: Col. Donlon portrait taken at the October 2019 Medal of Honor convention in Tampa, Fla.

ON MARCH 25, THE NATION CELEBRATED NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR DAY. The Fort Leavenworth community is
fortunate that recognizing this holiday each year means that we get to honor the heroism and sacrifice of
two recipients of the medal who live among us.
Col. Roger H.C. Donlon, U.S.
Army, Ret., 86, was born and raised
in Saugerties, New York. His military
career began with enlisted service
in both the Air Force and Army.
Commissioned through Officer
Candidate School as an infantry
officer in 1959, he spent the next 29
years serving in assignments based
on a triad of his specialties as an
Infantry, Special Forces and Foreign
Area Officer.
On July 6, 1964, while serving as
commander of Detachment A-726 of
the 7th Special Forces Group in an
outpost called Camp Nam Dong in
Vietnam, Donlon and his men came
under attack from a reinforced Viet
Cong battalion.
"During the violent battle that
ensued, lasting 5 hours and resulting
in heavy casualties on both sides,"
the citation reads, "Capt. Donlon

directed the defense operations in
the midst of an enemy barrage of
mortar shells, falling grenades, and
extremely heavy gunfire."
Despite suffering multiple wounds
during the battle, Donlon exhibited
"great courage and coolness under
fire" leading his men to a successful
defense of the camp which was
evident as the sun rose and the enemy
retreated "back to the jungle leaving
behind 54 of their dead, many
weapons, and grenades..."
President Lyndon Johnson
presented Donlon with the Medal of
Honor for his actions in a ceremony
at the White House on Dec. 5, 1964.
He became the first American Soldier
and the first Special Forces Solder to
be awarded the Medal of Honor in
Vietnam.
Donlon went on to a full career
in the Army, retiring in December

1988. Since then he has been involved
in numerous civic organizations,
receiving numerous awards and
honors along the way. Of particular
note, he was a founding member
of the board of trustees for the
Command and General Staff College
Foundation at Fort Leavenworth.
In May 1995, Col. Donlon was
inducted into the Fort Leavenworth
Hall of Fame, the only non-General
Officer to hold this distinction in the
20th century. Additionally, the 7th
Special Forces Group (Airborne)
headquarters building at Eglin AFB,
Fla. was named "Donlon Hall" on
Dec. 5, 2018, during a ceremony
where a bronze bust of Donlon was
also unveiled.
Donlon married Norma Shinno
Irving on Nov. 9, 1968, in Colorado
Springs, Colo. They have five
children and six grandchildren.

Read Roger Donlon's full Medal of Honor citation:

Watch Roger Donlon's story on YouTube:

http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3266/donlon-roger-hugh-c.php

https://youtu.be/b_NS8ejQKAo

18 - CGSC FOUNDATION NEWS | www.cgscfoundation.org

https://youtu.be/b_NS8ejQKAo http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3266/donlon-roger-hugh-c.php

Command and General Staff College Foundation News Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Command and General Staff College Foundation News Spring 2020