President Joe Biden on Tuesday recognized four U.S. Army soldiers for “acts of gallantry and intrepidity” during the Vietnam War that went “above and beyond the call of duty.”

Biden gave the men the Medal of Honor — the United States’ highest award for valor in combat that can be given to a member of the armed forces — for actions during the war that saved lives, often despite their own injuries and amid enemy attacks.

Speaking on the day after the anniversary of American independence, President Biden said: “For each of those 246 years, American patriots have answered our nation's call to military service.”

“They stood in the way of danger, risked everything — literally everything — to defend our nation and our values. However, not every service member has received the full recognition they deserve,” he said.

“Today, we're setting the record straight,” Biden added. 

The president told the stories of Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro, who received the award posthumously, Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell, Specialist Five Dennis M. Fujii and Major John J. Duffy. Their actions were as follows, according to the U.S. Army:

• Kaneshiro, whose son accepted the medal on his behalf, received the award for successfully eliminating an enemy threat and leading troops out of a village in 1966, after they were attacked by North Vietnamese soldiers on a scouting mission. Working alone, he attacked enemy soldiers who were firing on Americans from a trench, allowing his fellow soldiers to survive and evacuate. He later died in Vietnam in 1967.
  
  
• Birdwell received his medal for actions in 1968 outside of Saigon in what would later be known as the Tet Offensive. He took over for his incapacitated tank commander to fire on the enemy and continued to do so with machine guns. His gun exploded and injured his face and torso, but he refused to be evacuated. He led a small group of soldiers past enemy lines and disrupted their assault with hand grenades, then treating other wounded soldiers before getting his own medical help.
  
  
• When Fujii’s helicopter crashed because of enemy fire in 1971, he stayed on the ground as the lone American helping South Vietnam troops because it was too dangerous for him to be rescued. He then directed American airstrikes from the ground during a close-quarters enemy attack, often exposing himself directly to fire in order to help successfully defend the South Vietnamese camp. After his tour, he joined the Army Reserve and today lives in Hawaii. 
  
  
• Major Duffy refused evacuation in 1972 after being wounded twice. He then moved close to enemy lines in an effort to help land a resupply aircraft, calling in airstrikes, where he was wounded again but still refused evacuation. When the enemy then began a ground assault, Major Duffy "moved from position to position to adjust fire, spot targets for artillery and direct gunship fire." The next day, he led wounded evacuees to an area where he directed gunship fire on enemy positions and marked a landing zone for the helicopters. Only after ensuring all evacuees were aboard did he board as well, assisting other wounded soldiers. Major Duffy’s service included three tours in Vietnam in various Special Forces assignments. He currently lives in Santa Cruz, California. 

The Medal of Honor, which was first authorized in 1861, has been awarded more than 3,400 times, according to the Army.

“For those who give their best for our country, we’ll always, always give our best to you,” President Biden said Tuesday. 

Biden is expected to award the Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — to 17 people on Thursday. The ceremony will include posthumous awards for Sen. John McCain and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, as well as medals for gymnast Simone Biles, actor Denzel Washington and former Arizona congresswoman and gun safety reform advocate Gabby Giffords.