Retired Marine receives Medal of Honor

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump presented the nation’s highest military honor Wednesday to an 80-year-old retired Marine sergeant major who five decades ago “fought with unmatched bravery” at the beginning of one of the Vietnam War’s longest and bloodiest battles.

John Canley’s heroism includes twice scaling a hospital wall in view of the enemy to help wounded Marines and carry them to safety.

Canley, a native of Caledonia, Ark., now living in Oxnard, Calif., fought off multiple enemy attacks over several days in January and February of 1968 while his company of about 150 men carried out a counteroffensive to retake the city of Hue from North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces, which numbered into the thousands.

The operation by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces became known as the Tet Offensive because coordinated attacks against targets in South Vietnam, i ncluding Hue, were launched as the Vietnamese celebrated the lunar new year, or Tet holiday.

Canley took over after his commanding officer was severely wounded in the battle to retake Hue, which was held by at least 6,000 communist fighters, Trump said.

On the fifth day of combat, Canley’s company was charged with liberating the Joan of Arc school, which had become the communists’ strategic and symbolic stronghold in the city.

Machine gun fire greeted them. Canley and a colleague charged forward with rocket launchers, killing enemy fighters and driving them from their positions, Trump said.

“The enemy didn’t know what the hell happened,” Trump said.

Canley saved the lives of more than 20 Marines during seven days of “unrelenting combat,” Trump said.