Ambassador Quinn Presented the US Army Air Medal for Service in Vietnam

In 2009, a ceremony was held in Des Moines, at which the US Army Air Medal was presented to Ambassador Quinn for his participation in helicopter combat operations during the Vietnam War. This was a unique event in that Ambassador Quinn was a civilian Foreign Service Officer at that time. He was the only civilian ever to receive the Air Medal for participating in military operations in Vietnam. Congressman Leonard Boswell played a special role in having the award given to Ambassador Quinn. The Congressman asked Le Son Quinn, the Ambassador's wife, to pin the decoration on him.