Vietnam Hero to be Awarded Medal of Honor

[GAP]

Vietnam Hero to be Awarded Medal of Honor
By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service
Article Link

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2007 – More than 40 years after demonstrating the heroism immortalized in the bestselling book and movie, “We Were Soldiers Once … and Young,” retired Army Lt. Col. Bruce P. Crandall will receive the Medal of Honor, the White House announced yesterday.
Crandall will receive the nation’s highest military award for actions during the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam in November 1965. The battle, at Landing Zone X-Ray near the Ia Drang River, was the first major ground battle of the war.

During the incident, Crandall, then a major and commander of Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), dodged intense enemy fire as he repeatedly flew to a landing zone to rescue and resupply besieged 1st Cavalry Division ground troops.

The narrative for Crandall’s Medal of Honor credits him with displaying leadership by example and fearless courage as he “voluntarily flew his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire on flight after flight, delivering desperately needed ammunition, water and medical supplies into one of the most hotly contested landing zones of the war.”

Crandall led a flight of 16 helicopters in support of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, which was out of water, running dangerously low on ammunition and engaging about two regiments of North Vietnamese army infantry “determined to overrun and annihilate them,” the narrative reads.

When the enemy fire got so intense that the infantry commander closed the landing zone, Crandall volunteered for the mission. He and his wingman, Maj. Ed Freeman, are credited with saving more than 70 wounded soldiers by transporting them to safety.

Freeman received the Medal of Honor for his efforts in July 2001.

Several books about the battle recognize Crandall and Freeman’s contributions. Among the most well-known is the bestselling “We Were Soldiers Once … and Young,” coauthored by Lt. Gen. Harold Moore, commanding officer of infantry units in X-Ray, and Joseph Galloway, a combat reporter who was in the landing zone during the battle.
More on link

 

[vonGarvin]

A couple of years too late, perhaps, but from what little I know of the battle, well deserved!

 

[Franko]

Glad to see that his deeds will be rewarded, albeit a bit late.

Regards

 

[geo]

1965 - 2007............ 42 years

Musta been an elephant for that kind of memory

BZ  well done!

 

[Petard]

Seems pretty obvious from the get go what a remarkable example of bravery it was when it happened, by any measure.
Definitely well deserved, but does anyone know why in hell it took so long?

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

about time, after reading the book and watching the movie i am shocked it has taken this long for him to get it or any other medals but i guess things get side tracked
a job well done

 

[scottishcanuck]

Is this the guy that in the movie was nicknamed snake $h!t

 

[geo]

(wonder if they are going to change the end of the movie for this...........)

 

[LineDoggie]

Is this the guy that in the movie was nicknamed snake $h!t

-Yep, also known by the Callsign "Ancient Serpent6"

 

[The Rifleman]

now I will have to watch the DVD again - it will give the film a much needed boost in my eyes

 

[Nfld Sapper]

From cnn.com

By Larry Shaughnessy
CNN Washington Bureau
Adjust font size:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall's heroics in Vietnam were immortalized in a movie and a critically acclaimed book.

More than 40 years after Crandall repeatedly risked his life to rescue American soldiers fighting one of the toughest battles of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military officially recognized his heroism Monday, when he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for military valor.

"For the soldiers rescued, for the men who came home, for the children they had and the lives they made, America is in debt to Bruce Crandall," President Bush said during the awards ceremony. "It's a debt our nation can never really fully repay."

Although it took more than four decades for the military to honor Crandall, he considers himself fortunate. (Watch Crandall recount the battle of la Drang Valley )

"Most people get [the Medal of Honor] after they are dead, so I'm one of the lucky ones," said Crandall, 74, who lives in retirement with his wife, Arlene, in Manchester, Washington.

His heroism was almost unrecognized -- when his unit deployed to Vietnam, it was shorthanded in administrative positions so that medal citations weren't handled promptly, Crandall said. As the regulations were then written, citations could not be filed more than two years after the action took place.

Later the regulations were changed so that there was no limit on when citations could be filed.

Crandall's story goes back to the early days of the Vietnam War.

On November 15, 1965, a battalion of soldiers was ordered to attack North Vietnamese troops in the Ia Drang Valley in the central highlands of South Vietnam. It would be the first major battle between the U.S. and North Vietnamese armies and one of the first uses of helicopters to insert troops into battle quickly.

Crandall flew the lead helicopter into the attack at Landing Zone X-Ray. The 450 American soldiers soon were surrounded by a much larger force of experienced North Vietnamese troops. During one landing, three men on Crandall's helicopter were killed and three others were wounded.

"As we came in, across the trees, the enemy was there and in the landing zone. I had my crew chief shot through the throat," Crandall said recently. "I could see the people shooting at me from, just off the left of my rotor blades."

But he couldn't shoot back because his helicopter didn't have the M60 machine guns that later would become standard equipment on the UH-1 "Huey" that Crandall flew.

In spite of the danger, Crandall flew into X-Ray more than 18 times to bring in ammunition and bring out the wounded.

"It was the longest day I ever experienced in any aircraft," Crandall said.

He had to switch helicopters several times because of damage from enemy fire.

"When an aircraft got hit in those times, we would use duct tape to cover the holes, and the purpose of covering the holes was so you knew what was a new hole and what was an old one that had been inspected," he said.

Crandall and his wingman, Ed "Too Tall" Freeman, saved 70 wounded soldiers that day.

The battle and the pilots' deeds were described in the book "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young" by Gen. Harold Moore, commander of the battalion on the ground, and Joseph Galloway, the only war correspondent there for the entire battle.

It later was made into the 2002 movie "We Were Soldiers," starring Mel Gibson as Moore and Greg Kinnear as Crandall.

Crandall, a major at the time of the battle, was a consultant on the movie set.

The citation to be read at the White House ceremony will say in part that Crandall's "bravery and daring courage to land under the most extreme hostile fire instilled in the other pilots the will and spirit to continue."

Monday's ceremony will be the second Medal of Honor awarded from that battle. Freeman received the Medal of Honor in 2001.

Crandall said Freeman defines the word "hero."

"Freeman didn't have to volunteer," Crandall said. "I have to go, I am the commander, so Freeman stepped up and went. I really didn't want him to. We'd been friends for 10 years."

Freeman will join Crandall's wife and his three sons at the 2:30 p.m. ET White House ceremony. President Bush will present the honors.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Found his citation from http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/crandall/citation/index.html

Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Major Bruce P. Crandall distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism as a Flight Commander in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). On 14 November 1965, his flight of sixteen helicopters was lifting troops for a search and destroy mission from Plei Me, Vietnam, to Landing Zone X-Ray in the la Drang Valley. On the fourth troop lift, the airlift began to take enemy fire, and by the time the aircraft had refueled and returned for the next troop lift, the enemy had Landing Zone X-Ray targeted. As Major Crandall and the first eight helicopters landed to discharge troops on his fifth troop lift, his unarmed helicopter came under such intense enemy fire that the ground commander ordered the second flight of eight aircraft to abort their mission. As Major Crandall flew back to Plei Me, his base of operations, he determined that the ground commander of the besieged infantry batallion desperately needed more ammunition. Major Crandall then decided to adjust his base of operations to Artillery Firebase Falcon in order to shorten the flight distance to deliver ammunition and evacuate wounded soldiers. While medical evacuation was not his mission, he immediately sought volunteers and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, led the two aircraft to Landing Zone X-Ray. Despite the fact that the landing zone was still under relentless enemy fire, Major Crandall landed and proceeded to supervise the loading of seriously wounded soldiers aboard his aircraft. Major Crandall's voluntary decision to land under the most extreme fire instilled in the other pilots the will and spirit to continue to land their own aircraft, and in the ground forces the realization that they would be resupplied and that friendly wounded would be promptly evacuated. This greatly enhanced morale and the will to fight at a critical time. After his first medical evacuation, Major Crandall continued to fly into and out of the landing zone throughout the day and into the evening. That day he completed a total of 22 flights, most under intense enemy fire, retiring from the battlefield only after all possible service had been rendered to the Infantry battalion. His actions provided critical resupply of ammunition and evacuation of the wounded. Major Crandall's daring acts of bravery and courage in the face of an overwhelming and determined enemy are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

 

[geo]

A moving presentation.

(I'm glad that the Col has received the keys to the city in Texas - and that Dubya didn't)

 

[tomahawk6]

A moving presentation.

(I'm glad that the Col has received the keys to the city in Texas - and that Dubya didn't)

You couldnt resist the swipe at the President could you ?

 

[geo]

Huh?

Watched the presentation.... he took a swipe at himself

 

[tomahawk6]

Sorry I guess I misunderstood the reference.

 

[geo]

NP T6.

As an individual, I can take him or leave him but.... hey, he's your fearless leader & we have ours - warts and all.

Matter of fact, Dubya made a couple of funnies throughout his speach
sometimes humourous, sometimes serious, some tongue in cheek quips.... he was dignified.... and he throws a pert mean salute.

Chimo!

 

[tomahawk6]

It was interesting that Crandall and three of his pilots were Engineer's. In those days aviation was wide open to combat arms officers maybe even the combat support branches if memory serves me. Now aviation has its own branch.

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

i am glad to see he got the award.....but why does it take so long for a soldier to get medals and awards from that  conflict?
or any past conflict?
i know there is a long hard investigation into all awards of the medal of honors  but 40 plus years?

 

[Donut]

According to the article, his unit deployed short on Admin pers (and alot of other pers, too).  There was a reg that stated any awards had to be presented within two years, and his adm never got done.  The rule was then changed, and they were allowed retroactively.

Kind of odd, I'm halfway through the book again, and the movies on City TV tonight.  What are the odds?

DF