A Canton resident and Vietnam War veteran is set to be inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame.
Retired U.S. Army First Sgt. Michael Joseph Conley has been named to the GMVHOF Class of 2024 along with 14 other Georgia veterans, the organization announced.
Conley, a veteran of Vietnam and Operation Iraqi Freedom, was highly decorated during his 42-year military career, according to GMVHOF. On his initial Vietnam tour as private first class, he was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for heroics.
As a 20-year-old sergeant in Vietnam in 1968, Conley was one of three survivors of 12 men aboard a helicopter that landed on the roof of the U.S. Embassy during a Viet Cong assault.
During the four-day siege Conley was credited with saving General Ky, the South Vietnamese Army Commanding General, as well as the life of his company commander. For this heroic feat, Sgt. Conley was awarded the first of two Silver Stars.
On his second Vietnam tour serving as a platoon sergeant in the 101st Airborne, he rescued a soldier severely wounded by sniper fire, carrying him to safety while under hostile fire after dispatching the sniper. This earned him a second Silver Star.