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2 Silver Stars, 10 Bronze Stars, and 3 Purple Hearts: U.S. Army Ranger Private Patrick Gavin Tadina is pictured here in an undated photo wearing a North Vietnamese Army uniform and carrying an AK-47. A 30-year Army veteran, he was the longest-serving Ranger in Vietnam and one of the most decorated low-ranking soldiers of the war. Tadina served in Vietnam for more than five consecutive years between 1965 and 1970, leading long-range reconnaissance patrols deep into enemy territory. His small stature and dark complexion helped him disguise himself as a Viet Cong soldier on patrols deep into the Central Highlands, where he preferred to be in the lead. His commendations describe him walking within meters of an enemy he knew was waiting for him and leading pursuing enemy patrols into traps set by his team. Tadina joined the Army in 1962 and served in the Dominican Republic before heading to Southeast Asia. He also served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury in 1983 and with the 1st Infantry Division during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. A 1995 member of the Ranger Hall of Fame, he served with "exceptional gallantry," never losing a single soldier during his years as a team leader in Vietnam, according to a profile at Fort Benning. About 200 men served under him without "a single wound," according to a newspaper clipping his daughter shared, published while Tadina was serving at Landing Zone English in Binh Dinh province, Vietnam, likely in 1969. Tadina himself was shot three times, and his only brother was also killed in combat in Vietnam, Stars and Stripes later reported. The last time he was shot was during an enemy ambush for which he earned his second Silver Star, and his wounds nearly forced his evacuation from the country, according to LZ English's account. As the vanguard, Tadina was already in the firing line when she sensed something was amiss, but the enemy didn't shoot at her, seemingly confused as to who she was. Upon seeing the enemy, Tadina opened fire and alerted her comrades to the ambush before falling to the ground and being shot in both calves. #army #armyrangers #rltw #militarylife #history