District Senior Advisor in Duc Ton Vietnam in 1970

Even though he was a civilian Foreign Service Officer, Ambassador Quinn was appointed the head of the Duc Ton District US Army Advisory Team in Sa Dec Province of the Mekong Delta in 1970. Replacing an Army Major, Ambassador Quinn commanded the US team and participated in numerous military operations, including helicopter combat missions. For this service, he would be awarded the US Army Air Medal, the only civilian in Vietnam to ever receive that decoration. At his farewell party, his fellow Vietnamese and American officers all joined in an impromptu swim, reflecting the camaraderie that had been established by their being in combat together.