The Vietnam War’s First Black Medal of Honor Recipient

While in the Army infantry, I served alongside servicemembers of every conceivable ethnicity, religion and gender. No one was given special treatment and I learned very quickly that my life often relied on the men to my left and right.

To reinforce this point, there is a 30-foot, multi-platform tower at infantry school at Fort Benning, Georgia, specifically designed to make young soldiers trust their squadmates. Called “Victory Tower,” there is no way to ascend or descend without assistance from your squad.