Retired Army Capt. Paul Bucha, Connecticut’s last living Medal of Honor recipient, dies at 80

Retired Army Capt. Paul “Bud” Bucha, a Medal of Honor recipient, died Wednesday in West Haven, Conn. He was 80.

Bucha, a longtime resident of Ridgefield, Conn., received the Medal of Honor in May 1970 for his actions during the Vietnam War. Until his death, Bucha was the only living Medal of Honor recipient in the state, according to a statement from Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Veterans Affairs Commissioner Ron Welch.

“Paul Bucha is an American hero whose service to our country inspired many, including those who went on themselves to make the selfless decision to enlist in the military,” Lamont said. “Following his military service, he went on to work with several organizations that provide services to veterans and the military community.”

Bucha was born Aug. 1, 1943, in Washington, D.C., to an Army officer father. He was an All-American swimmer at Ladue Horton Watkins High School before being selected for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He graduated 18th in his Army class in 1965, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

The honor was awarded to Bucha for actions that he took on March 16-18, 1968, as commanding officer of Company D on a reconnaissance-in-force mission against enemy forces near Phuoc Vinh in the Binh Duong province of Vietnam.

On March 18, his unit encountered an overwhelming enemy attack.

“Capt. Bucha, with complete disregard for his safety, moved to the threatened area to direct the defense and ordered reinforcements to the aid of the lead element,” according to his Medal of Honor citation. “Seeing that his men were pinned down by heavy machine gun fire from a concealed bunker located some 40 meters to the front of the positions, Capt. Bucha crawled through the hail of fire to single-handedly destroy the bunker with grenades.”

He received a shrapnel wound during this action. Returning to the perimeter of the fight, Bucha observed that his unit could not hold its positions and repel the wave of enemy assaults. He ordered a withdrawal to a more defensible position.

Throughout the night, Bucha encouraged his men, distributed ammunition and directed artillery and helicopter gunship fire.

“Using flashlights in complete view of enemy snipers, he directed the medical evacuation of three air-ambulance loads of seriously wounded personnel and the helicopter supply of his company,” according to his medal citation.

Bucha led a rescue party at daybreak to recover the dead and wounded members of the ambushed force.

After the Army in 1972, Bucha became prominent in business ventures, veterans support organizations and politics. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1993 but served as a foreign policy adviser for former President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.