This photo shows Army Ranger Patrick Gavin Tadina wearing North Vietnamese Army clothes and holding an AK-47.

It’s undated, but it captures one of the most decorated enlisted soldiers from the Vietnam War. Tadina, a 30-year Army veteran, was the longest continuously serving Ranger in Vietnam.


He served in Vietnam for over five years straight, from 1965 to 1970, leading deep patrols into enemy territory. He often wore black pajamas and sandals—like the enemy—and carried an AK-47 to blend in.


Born in Hawaii, Tadina earned two Silver Stars, 10 Bronze Stars (seven for bravery), three Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry, four Army Commendation Medals (two for valor), and three Purple Hearts.


Tadina was short and had a dark complexion, which helped him look like a Viet Cong soldier during missions. He often took the front spot in patrols. His award citations tell of him getting within feet of enemy soldiers and even leading enemy patrols into ambushes set by his team.


He served with elite units like the 173rd Airborne Brigade Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, the 74th Infantry Detachment, and Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry. Tadina joined the Army in 1962. Before Vietnam, he served in the Dominican Republic, and after Vietnam, he saw action in Grenada in 1983 with the 82nd Airborne and in Desert Storm in 1991 with the 1st Infantry Division.


He was added to the Ranger Hall of Fame in 1995. His profile at Fort Benning said he served with “extreme valor” and never lost a man under his command in Vietnam.


A newspaper article shared by his daughter once said about 200 men served under him without a single injury. Tadina, however, was wounded three times. Sadly, his only brother was killed in Vietnam.


The last time he was shot was during a surprise attack. That day, he earned his second Silver Star. Even though he was hit in both legs, he kept fighting and warning his team. At first, the enemy didn’t shoot him, probably thinking he was one of them. He fired first, called out the ambush, and kept leading until the enemy pulled back.


He refused medical help and stayed in command, according to a ne,wspaper q,uoting his award citation. “When you’re out there in the deep stuff, there’s an unspoken understanding,” he told a reporter in 1985. “It’s caring about your troops.”


Tadina retired from the Army in 1992, but continued working in security until 2013, including jobs in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

 

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