A Brief Coverage of His Meritorious Service to Our County
Born in Saugerties, Roger Donlon joined the United States Air Force in 1953 and then in 1958 he re-enlisted, this time in the United States Army. In August 1963 he joined the Special Forces. In July 1964, as an Army captain and facing a battle in Nam Dong in which his forces were outnumbered 800 to 300, he was repeatedly wounded as North Vietnamese forces attempted to overrun a camp, and yet took numerous actions to defend the U.S. position, and to keep his forces safe. For his actions during this battle, Captain Donlon was awarded the Medal of Honor, the military's highest award for valor, by President Lyndon B. Johnson, in December 1964. He was the first American soldier to be awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in the Vietnam War.
Donlon, a longtime member of American Legion Post 172 in Saugerties, was also the first veteran of the Vietnam War to receive the American Legion's Distinguished Service Medal in 1966. He also earned the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart, among other awards and decorations, in the course of his military career.
Both he, and his wife, Norma, believed that “Those who have invested the most of themselves in war should be the first to reach out in peace.”
Roger Donlon's Passing
Born January 30, 1934, Saugerties hometown hero Colonel Roger H.C. Donlon, lost his 12-year battle with Agent Orange Parkinson’s Disease and died on January 25, 2024. Roger was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor among other military awards and decorations.
Saugerties mourns his passing, and remains inspired by the life he led and the example he set. His name on the Saugerties Town Hall and on the auditorium above Village Hall will keep him in our minds and hearts.
Links
- Click here for an American Legion article in his memory.
- For a full obituary (Daily Freeman), please click here.
- Roger Donlon Obituary - NY Times - February 8, 2024
- For a 9-minute YouTube video of his medal-of-honor story, click here.
- Washington Post Article Upon Roger Donlon's Death
Photos
Then-Captain Roger Donlon with Medal of Honor in Washington, December 1964.
[Photo from Congressional Medal of Honor Society]
Then-Major Roger Donlon leading a parade in El Paso.
[Photo from Congressional Medal of Honor Society]
Roger Donlon at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, November 4, 2014.
[Photo from Congressional Medal of Honor Society]