| Paul Bucha | |
| Birth Date: | 1 August 1943 |
| Birth Place: | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Death Place: | West Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Placeofburial: | West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York, U.S. |
| Allegiance: | United States |
| Branch: | United States Army |
| Serviceyears: | 1965–1972 |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Unit: | Company D, 3rd Battalion 187th Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles: | Vietnam War |
| Awards: | Medal of Honor Bronze Star Medal with "V" device (2) Air Medal Army Commendation Medal (2) Purple Heart |
Paul William Bucha (August 1, 1943 – July 31, 2024) was an American Vietnam War veteran and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was a foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.[1]
Bucha was born on August 1, 1943, in Washington, D.C.[2] He was of Croatian descent; his paternal grandfather immigrated to the United States from the Croatian town of Našice.[3] He graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 1961.[4] An all-American swimmer in high school, Bucha was offered athletic scholarships to several universities but turned them down and attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. After graduation he earned a Master of Business Administration at Stanford University before beginning his military career at Fort Campbell.[5]
Bucha was sent to Vietnam in 1967 as a captain and commander of Company D, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment (Rakkasans). On March 16, 1968, he and his company of 89 men were dropped by helicopter southwest of Phước Vĩnh,[5] in Bình Dương Province.[2] The area was believed to be a North Vietnamese stronghold and Bucha's unit was tasked with seeking out and engaging the enemy forces.[2] For two days Company D encountered light resistance as it cleared North Vietnamese positions. On the afternoon of March 18, the company's lead group of about twelve men stumbled upon a full North Vietnamese army battalion that had stopped to camp for the night. The lead element came under heavy fire and was pinned down. Bucha crawled toward them and destroyed a North Vietnamese bunker. He returned to the company perimeter and ordered a withdrawal to a more defensible position. Throughout the night he encouraged his men, distributed ammunition, and directed artillery and helicopter gunship fire. At one point he stood exposed and used flashlights to direct helicopters which were evacuating the wounded and bringing in supplies. The next morning, as the North Vietnamese forces withdrew, he led a party to rescue those soldiers who had been cut off from the rest of the company.[5]
Once his tour in the Vietnam War ended in April 1970, Bucha returned to the United States and taught Political Science at West Point. It was during this time he learned he had been awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle near Phuoc Vinh. The medal was presented to him on May 14, 1970, by President Richard Nixon.[5]
Bucha left the army in 1972.[6] He worked as chief of operations in Iran for Ross Perot's company, Electronic Data Systems (EDS). When several EDS employees were detained during the 1979 Iranian Revolution, he was involved in the effort to free them. He then started his own company, which found American partners for foreign investors. With a French real estate developer he formed a joint venture in real estate development which began the development of Port Liberté, New Jersey.[7] He later worked as chairman of the board of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation and was president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.[6] He sat on the Board of Directors to a number of organizations and companies, including Veterans Advantage, a Public Benefit Corporation that creates exclusive benefits and discounts for the military community, of which he has been an advisory board member since its founding by Lin and Scott Higgins in 2000.
Bucha was active in political affairs and campaigned for Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election. He would serve Obama's 2008 Presidential campaign as a foreign policy adviser and appeared at rallies with other veterans.[8] Bucha unsuccessfully ran as a Republican for the United States House of Representatives in New York's 19th Congressional District in 1994, losing the September 1994 Republican primary to Sue W. Kelly and coming in fourth place.[9] [10]
Bucha was an honorary member of the Rhode Island Commandery of the Military Order of Foreign Wars. Bucha married twice. His first marriage to Carolyn Maynard ended in divorce. He lived in Ridgefield, Connecticut, with his wife Cynthia, who he married in 1996.[11] He had four children.
Bucha died from Alzheimer's disease at a hospital in West Haven, Connecticut, on July 31, 2024, the day before his 81st birthday.[12]