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As a Black Vietnam War veteran receives the Medal of Honor, an Alaskan who served with him says it’s long overdue

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As a Black Vietnam War veteran receives the Medal of Honor, an Alaskan who served with him says it’s long overdue


WASHINGTON — Retired U.S. Military Col. Paris Davis obtained the Medal of Honor on Friday for valor through the Vietnam Struggle, many years after first being nominated.

One of many males who served with him, Ron Deis of Alaska, was emotional watching it lastly occur. Deis, who additionally served within the Particular Forces with Davis, helped within the decades-long push for the Pentagon to award Davis the U.S. army’s highest honor.

“It’s a disgrace he’s needed to wait,” Deis stated of the practically 60 years since Davis, 83, was first nominated for the Medal of Honor. “He’s an incredible man.”

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Davis, one of many first Black Inexperienced Berets, led his staff in a 19-hour engagement close to the village of Bong Son, Vietnam, in June 1965. A grenade injured Davis’ hand throughout fight, however he continued to struggle, pulling his rifle’s set off along with his pinkie, in response to varied studies. Regardless of sustaining a number of different accidents, together with being shot within the leg, Davis refused to desert his incapacitated teammates who have been trapped. Davis personally rescued fellow American troopers whereas repeatedly exposing himself to enemy hearth, in response to the White Home.

Paris Davis

Davis was then 26 years outdated, a captain and commander with the fifth Particular Forces Group.

“He wasn’t going to go away till all of his staff was accounted for, and I believe that was the primary thrust of him getting the Medal of Honor,” Deis stated in an interview.

A junior member of the staff, then-Spc. 4th Class Deis briefly flew over the raid in a “Chook Canine” spotter plane, however stated the airplane was shortly shot down. Deis stated he spent the remainder of the engagement attending to wounded troopers at camp.

[Black Vietnam veteran finally gets his Medal of Honor for bravery]

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Deis remembers a senior member of the staff who had been on the bottom that day telling him, “I believe Capt. Davis deserves a Medal of Honor for what he did in the present day.”

“And that caught with me all these years,” stated Deis, who’s now 79.

Davis’ friends nominated him for the Medal of Honor. However the Military misplaced the paperwork — stalling the method for practically 60 years. Davis and Deis have attributed the delay to Davis’ race.

“These are virtually like holy papers,” Deis stated of the nominating paperwork. “… If I used to be within the army and one thing like that got here throughout my desk, it’s like, what’s extra necessary than this?”

Biden Medal of Honor

Military officers stated they haven’t recognized proof of racism in Davis’ case, in response to the Related Press.

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After serving in Vietnam, Deis moved from his residence state of Ohio to Idaho, after which finally settled in Anchorage, the place he has lived for 4 many years and spent a lot of his profession working on the Alaska Native Medical Heart. Most just lately, he labored part-time for Southcentral Basis earlier than retiring in April.

About 9 years in the past, Deis began working with a coalition of volunteers who have been advocating for Davis to obtain the Medal of Honor. The group re-created the Medal of Honor suggestion packet and filed the paperwork in 2016.

Deis wrote an official witness assertion concerning the 1965 Vietnam raid and had it notarized. He additionally recalled doing an interview with Davis at an Ohio tv station in 1969. Volunteers tracked down a duplicate of that interview on the College of Georgia.

Neil Thorne, one of many volunteers engaged on advancing Davis’ Medal of Honor, stated Deis’ “recollections have been completely crucial.”

Military Secretary Christine Wormuth and Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin have since advisable Davis for the award.

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President Joe Biden offered Davis with the Medal of Honor for “gallantry above and past the decision of obligation” on Friday.

“Paris, you’re all the things this medal means. I imply, all the things this medal means. And look, you’re all the things our technology aspired to be,” Biden stated through the ceremony. “You’re all the things our nation is at our greatest, courageous and big-hearted, decided and devoted, selfless and steadfast, American.”

Biden Medal of Honor

Deis is the youngest surviving member of the Particular Forces staff who served with Davis through the June 1965 raid. He attended Davis’ Medal of Honor ceremony Friday.

Although Davis and Deis misplaced contact after serving collectively in Vietnam, Deis spoke with Davis after studying he would finally obtain the Medal of Honor.

“He stated we might cry collectively,” Deis stated.

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Assist our reporting

Reporter Riley Rogerson is a full-time reporter for the ADN based mostly in Washington, D.C. Her place is supported by Report for America, which is working to fill gaps in reporting throughout America and to position a brand new technology of journalists in group information organizations across the nation. Report for America, funded by each non-public and public donors, covers as much as 50% of a reporter’s wage. It’s as much as Anchorage Day by day Information to seek out the opposite half, via local people donors, benefactors, grants or different fundraising actions.

If you want to make a private, tax-deductible contribution to her place, you can also make a one-time donation or a recurring month-to-month donation by way of adn.com/RFA. It’s also possible to donate by verify, payable to “The GroundTruth Mission.” Ship it to Report for America/Anchorage Day by day Information, c/o The GroundTruth Mission, 10 Visitor Road, Boston, MA 02135. Please put Anchorage Day by day Information/Report for America within the verify memo line.

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Alaska

Federal funds will help DOT study wildlife crashes on Glenn Highway

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Federal funds will help DOT study wildlife crashes on Glenn Highway


New federal funds will help Alaska’s Department of Transportation develop a plan to reduce vehicle collisions with wildlife on one of the state’s busiest highways.

The U.S. Transportation Department gave the state a $626,659 grant in December to conduct a wildlife-vehicle collision study along the Glenn Highway corridor stretching between Anchorage’s Airport Heights neighborhood to the Glenn-Parks Highway interchange.

Over 30,000 residents drive the highway each way daily.

Mark Eisenman, the Anchorage area planner for the department, hopes the study will help generate new ideas to reduce wildlife crashes on the Glenn Highway.

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“That’s one of the things we’re hoping to get out of this is to also have the study look at what’s been done, not just nationwide, but maybe worldwide,” Eisenman said. “Maybe where the best spot for a wildlife crossing would be, or is a wildlife crossing even the right mitigation strategy for these crashes?”

Eisenman said the most common wildlife collisions are with moose. There were nine fatal moose-vehicle crashes on the highway between 2018 and 2023. DOT estimates Alaska experiences about 765 animal-vehicle collisions annually.

In the late 1980s, DOT lengthened and raised a downtown Anchorage bridge to allow moose and wildlife to pass underneath, instead of on the roadway. But Eisenman said it wasn’t built tall enough for the moose to comfortably pass through, so many avoid it.

DOT also installed fencing along high-risk areas of the highway in an effort to prevent moose from traveling onto the highway.

Moose typically die in collisions, he said, and can also cause significant damage to vehicles. There are several signs along the Glenn Highway that tally fatal moose collisions, and he said they’re the primary signal to drivers to watch for wildlife.

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“The big thing is, the Glenn Highway is 65 (miles per hour) for most of that stretch, and reaction time to stop when you’re going that fast for an animal jumping onto the road is almost impossible to avoid,” he said.

The city estimates 1,600 moose live in the Anchorage Bowl.



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Alaska

Flight attendant sacked for twerking on the job: ‘What’s wrong with a little twerk before work’

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Flight attendant sacked for twerking on the job: ‘What’s wrong with a little twerk before work’


They deemed the stunt not-safe-for-twerk.

An Alaska Airlines flight attendant who was sacked for twerking on camera has created a GoFundMe to support her while she seeks a new berth.

The crewmember, named Nelle Diala, had filmed the viral booty-shaking TikTok video on the plane while waiting two hours for the captain to arrive, A View From the Wing reported.

“I never thought a single moment would cost me everything,” wrote the ex-crewmember. TikTok / @_jvnelle415

She captioned the clip, which also blew up on Instagram, “ghetto bih till i D-I-E, don’t let the uniform fool you.”

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Diala was reportedly doing a victory dance to celebrate the end of her new hire probationary period.

Unfortunately, her jubilation was short-lived as Alaska Airlines nipped her employment in the bum just six months into her contract.

The fanny-wagging flight attendant feels that she didn’t do anything wrong.

Diala was ripped online over her GoFundMe page. GoFundMe

Diala has since reposted the twerking clip with the new caption: “Can’t even be yourself anymore, without the world being so sensitive. What’s wrong with a little twerk before work, people act like they never did that before.”

The new footage was hashtagged #discriminationisreal.

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The disgraced stewardess even set up a GoFundMe page to help support the so-called “wrongfully fired” flight attendant until she can land a new flight attendant gig.

“I never thought a single moment would cost me everything,” wrote the ex-crewmember. “Losing my job was devastating.”

“Can’t even be yourself anymore, without the world being so sensitive,” Diala wrote on TikTok while reacting to news of her firing. “What’s wrong with a little twerk before work, people act like they never did that before.” Getty Images

She claimed that the gig had allowed her to meet new people and see the world, among other perks.

While air hostessing was ostensibly a “dream job,” Diala admitted that she used the income to help fund her “blossoming lingerie and dessert businesses,” which she runs under the Instagram handles @cakezncake (which doesn’t appear to have any content?) and @figure8.lingerie.

As of Wednesday morning, the crowdfunding campaign has raised just $182 of its $12,000 goal.

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Diala was ripped online for twerking on the job as well as her subsequent GoFundMe efforts.

“You don’t respect the uniform, you don’t respect your job then,” declared one critic on the popular aviation-focused Instagram page The Crew Lounge. “Terms and Conditions apply.”

“‘Support for wrongly fired flight attendant??’” mocked another. “Her GoFund title says it all. She still thinks she was wrongly fired. Girl you weren’t wrongly fired. Go apply for a new job and probably stop twerking in your uniform.”

“The fact that you don’t respect your job is one thing but doing it while in uniform and at work speaks volumes,” scoffed a third. “You’re the brand ambassador and it’s not a good look.”

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As Alaska sees a spike in Flu cases — another virus is on the rise in the U.S.

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As Alaska sees a spike in Flu cases — another virus is on the rise in the U.S.


FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU) – Alaska has recently seen a rise in both influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV. Amidst the spike in both illnesses, norovirus has also been on the rise in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it’s highly contagious and hand sanitizers don’t work well against it.

Current data for Alaska shows 449 influenza cases and 262 RSV cases for the week of Jan. 4. Influenza predominantly impacts the Kenai area, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and the Northwest regions of the state. RSV is also seeing significant activity in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and Anchorage.

Both are respiratory viruses that are treatable, but norovirus — which behaves like the stomach flu according to the CDC — is seeing a surge at the national level. It “causes acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines,” as stated on the CDC webpage.

This virus is spread through close contact with infected people and surfaces, particularly food.

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“Basically any place that people aggregate in close quarters, they’re going to be especially at risk,” said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent.

Preventing infection is possible but does require diligence. Just using hand sanitizer “does not work well against norovirus,” according to the CDC. Instead, the CDC advises washing your hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds. When preparing food or cleaning fabrics — the virus “can survive temperatures as high as 145°F,” as stated by the CDC.

According to Dr. Gupta, its proteins make it difficult to kill, leaving many cleaning methods ineffective. To ensure a given product can kill the virus, he advises checking the label to see if it claims it can kill norovirus. Gupta said you can also make your own “by mixing bleach with water, 3/4 of a cup of bleach per gallon of water.”

For fabrics, it’s best to clean with water temperatures set to hot or steam cleaning at 175°F for five minutes.

As for foods, it’s best to throw out any items that might have norovirus. As a protective measure, it’s best to cook oysters and shellfish to a temperature greater than 145°F.

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Based on Alaska Department of Health data, reported COVID-19 cases are significantly lower than this time last year.

See a spelling or grammatical error? Report it to web@ktuu.com



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