January 13, 2009 Amb. Kenneth Quinn
In 2009 at a special ceremony at the State Department in Washington D.C., Ambassador Quinn was presented the US Army Air Medal for flying helicopter combat operations during the Vietnam War when he was assigned as a Civilian Foreign Service Officer to the Military Assistance Command. He is the only civilian to receive the Air Medal during the Vietnam War. A former Senator and WWII Hero, Robert Dole and US Congressman Steve Solarz attended the ceremony as a special honor Ambassador Quinn. Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell had initiated the procedure to have this military recognition presented to the Ambassador. The award was made by Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte. Ambassador Quinn may be the only State Department Foreign Service Officer ever to receive a combat decoration for his actions commanding US Military Operations in warfare.
