Steve Dufford sits on the armored personnel vehicle he and the other men of his unit called "Adolf Coors" during his time in Vietnam. This photo was taken circa 1970. Photo Courtsey of Steve Dufford

March 26, 1970, is a day the men of the U.S. Army's Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Calvary unit, including Eagle River's Steve Dufford, wished never happened. However, the actions of that day, near the border of Cambodia and Vietnam, are now a proud part of Army history, thanks to President Barack Obama.

Some 39 years later, the president presented the surviving men of the unit with the highest military honor a combat unit can receive, the Presidential Unit Citation.

Dufford reunited with 80 of the men he served with on that day in 1970 in the White House's Rose Garden on Oct. 20, as Obama presented the award for "extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry against an armed enemy."

"It felt surreal, to be in the Rose Garden with the president," Dufford said. "But to be together again with the other men of my unit and to be recognized so many years after the war for what we did, it is truly a great honor."

In presenting the award, Obama retold how the unit rescued fellow soldiers, saying he wanted to help right "one of the saddest episodes in American history."

"Alpha Troop heard that another unit of about 100 men (Charlie Company, from the 1st Calvary Division) had stumbled upon a massive underground bunker of North Vietnamese troops," Obama said in his speech. "They were outnumbered and outgunned three to one, so the men of Alpha Troop set out to smash a path through the jungle, risking ambush and land mines, to rescue their colleagues.

"These soldiers defined the meaning of bravery and heroism on that day," the president said.

Steve Dufford of Eagle River is presented the Presidential Unit Citation by deputy secretary of the Army during a ceremony held Oct. 20 in Washington, D.C. Dufford and the men of the Alpha Troop, First Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry were presented the award for bravery during a battle March 26, 1970, in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Linda Dufford

The bravery of the unit went largely unnoticed - until now. The president credited the unit's leader, retired Capt. John Poindexter of Houston, for his years of efforts to ensure that his soldiers' service ultimately was rewarded. He wrote a book titled "The Anonymous Battle," release in 2004 that retold the events of that day.

"This isn't the story of a battle that changed the course of a war," Obama said. "It never had a name, like Tet or Hue or Khe Sanh. It never made the papers back home. But like countless battles, known and unknown, it is a proud chapter in the story of the American soldier."

Poindexter included a description of the arrival of the unit at the scene of the battle as told by Platoon Sgt. Pasqual Gutierrez in his book: "Bullets banged off the armor of my tank. Rocket-propelled grenades had just cut down a sergeant and wounded a captain. The fighting was so fierce that machine gun barrels overheated. The one thing I remember most about that day is that I was scared (expletive) and didn't want to die."

Charlie Company had 39 soldiers die in the battle and 107 were wounded. The men of the Alpha Troop all survived .

At the October ceremony, Obama also spoke to the men of Charlie Company, those who survived that day.

"One of your commanders has called this rescue a miracle," he said. "And after learning the details, I'd have to agree. Many of you owe your lives to the men of this unit, who bravely charged to your rescue. But more than that, this nation owes them and the respect many of the veterans of the Vietnam War didn't receive when they returned home."

Dufford had previously earned the Soldier's Medal for his efforts on that day in March. A combat medic, he ran into a barrage of mortar explosions to treat wounded soldiers and carry them to safety.

Over the years, 20 other men from Dufford's unit have been presented medals for their performance in what has been called the "Anonymous Battle," including a Distinguished Service Cross, five Silver Stars, eight Bronze Stars and six other Soldier's Medals. The presidential citation reiterated the valor of the event for the entire unit.

"We didn't think we did anything heroic on that day," Dufford said. "But looking back on it today I can understand how people think we were heroes."

Reach the reporter at darrell.breese.@alaskastar.com.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Wednesday, November 25, 2009.