Vietnam Vet finally awarded Medal of Honor

[Ice]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/26/crandall.medal.of.honor/index.html

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 Video)

"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 was 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."

I remember seeing that movie "We Were Soldiers". That's some pretty heavy, intense things that man had to do. Well deserved in my opinion.

[Redleg]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/26/crandall.medal.of.honor/index.html

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 Video)

"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 was 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."

I remember seeing that movie "We Were Soldiers". That's some pretty heavy, intense things that man had to do. Well deserved in my opinion.

Yep Medevac pilots all deserve medals - Crandall is probably one of the best exambles of the bravery of those men that flew such missions.

[Hepcat]

I find it extremely sad how many Vietnam veterens just have never been acknowledged for their sacrifices. Kind of like a soldiers who went to fight to hold on to the European colonies after the 2nd World War.

[Grey_Fox]

Genuine medevac choppers were not meant to fly into a 'hot' landing zone. Two such Medevac choppers went into Ia Drang once, and only took on about a half dozen wounded before moving out and did not return. The lead pilot then started shouting at Crandall when they got back to base. After that, the Air Mobile Division never relied on medevac choppers again, instead using their own pilots and ships.

Also, there was another Medal of Honour at that battle, wasn't there?

[Fisherking]

The tough thing about medals is getting some one to write them up!

When Pvt. J. Snuffy writes one it doesn't carry much weight with the higher up who usually stick it in a drawer. Sgt.s just think someone was just doing his duty, Lts have their heads down and were on the radio to higher and didn't see what happened, top was back getting chow or scrounging ammo, and Cpt. Joe Cool is too busy…needless to say those who get medals are extraordinary and then it is likely downgraded twice from what was recommended by the people that wrote the award. That is the only reasons Officers receive a disproportionate amount of the awards…they sometimes write them for each other. But it was usually the case that if a field grade didn't write it, it just didn't get written.

I am glad he got it! I know sometimes these things work out in the end…Congrats!

[Papewaio]

Also, there was another Medal of Honour at that battle, wasn't there?

The co-pilot on the same chopper I believe.

[Redleg]

Genuine medevac choppers were not meant to fly into a 'hot' landing zone. Two such Medevac choppers went into Ia Drang once, and only took on about a half dozen wounded before moving out and did not return. The lead pilot then started shouting at Crandall when they got back to base. After that, the Air Mobile Division never relied on medevac choppers again, instead using their own pilots and ships.

Also, there was another Medal of Honour at that battle, wasn't there?

You might want to read up a little more on the Medevac units. Several flew multiple missions into hot LZ.

You might want to read about a certain Army Major - Charles L. "Combat" Kelly and the significance of his actions on Medevac missions.

[ShadeHonestus]

As anyone who has served under fire will tell you, the bravest, beyond any doubt are the medics on the ground and in the case above, the medevac choppers. If the title had not already been donned on a book for something much different, all medical personnel serving in combat should be remembered for their undaunted courage.

I'm very pleased with the Department of the Navy and their ability and willingness to recognize the sacrifices made by navy corpsmen...for a bunch of us jarheads.

Although not to diminish the achievement by Crandall, one of the most compelling citations I've read is here. (http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/citations_living/ii_n_bush.html)

(no he's not related to those Bush's so don't get your dander up you leftists and anarcho-liberal psuedo libertines)

[Grey_Fox]

The co-pilot on the same chopper I believe.

Nah, there was an infantryman that also got it there.



You might want to read up a little more on the Medevac units. Several flew multiple missions into hot LZ.

You might want to read about a certain Army Major - Charles L. "Combat" Kelly and the significance of his actions on Medevac missions.


I'm going by what Galloway said in "We Were Soldiers Once...And Young". He and others in the book castigate the Medevac pilots they worked with in Vietnam, who, when he was there,tended to leave his wounded high and dry just when they were needed the most. As I said, in Ia Drang there was only one attempted Medevac by two Medevac choppers, both of which pulled out and never returned. All other medevacs were done by the 1st Air Cav's own combat choppers, who'd fly in ammunition and supplies and fly out the wounded.

[Redleg]

Nah, there was an infantryman that also got it there.



I'm going by what Galloway said in "We Were Soldiers Once...And Young". He and others in the book castigate the Medevac pilots they worked with in Vietnam, who, when he was there,tended to leave his wounded high and dry just when they were needed the most. As I said, in Ia Drang there was only one attempted Medevac by two Medevac choppers, both of which pulled out and never returned. All other medevacs were done by the 1st Air Cav's own combat choppers, who'd fly in ammunition and supplies and fly out the wounded.

That was only one battle. And if you paid attention to the book it wasn't the Medevac pilots that refused to go back - it was some REMF that decided he didn't want the birds shot up anymore. That same REMF also tried it with Crandell - who promptly told him where to go. The movie also protrayed that bit of information.

Galloway was a reporter - he did not command troops.

[Shaka_Khan]

Even today, choppers are easy targets.

[Grey_Fox]

Galloway was a reporter - he did not command troops.

Sorry, meant Moore.



And if you paid attention to the book it wasn't the Medevac pilots that refused to go back - it was some REMF that decided he didn't want the birds shot up anymore. That same REMF also tried it with Crandell - who promptly told him where to go.

You sure? From my memory of the book I could swear that it was one of the medevac pilots.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Edward W. Freeman (http://www.1stcavmedic.com/cmhcav/freeman.htm)
Here's the man you seek.

[Redleg]

Edward W. Freeman (http://www.1stcavmedic.com/cmhcav/freeman.htm)
Here's the man you seek.

Yep - it sort of disproves the claim that 1st Cav didn't want Medevac flying missions into the area.


You sure? From my memory of the book I could swear that it was one of the medevac pilots.

Its been about 5 years since I read the book, but I have read several AAR and battle studies on the battle - to include having wrote one for a course once. I am reasonably sure that it was some REMF that ordered the halting of the flights - not the pilots themselves. Such an action would go against the basic character of the Medevac pilot and his crews. Hince the early reference to the man considered one of the prime architets (SP) of the Medevac system.

[Papewaio]

Nah, there was an infantryman that also got it there.


From the article:


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

Freeman is in the movie too... he is 1st Cav (Airmoblie) according to the citation.

From the citation for the Medal of Honor:


After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life-saving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers -- some of whom would not have survived had he not acted.

Refused to vs were refused/ordered not to.

[Grey_Fox]

I can't find my copy of the book right now, but an infantryman also got the medal of honour for charging an enemy sniper position on his own during the battle.

[Redleg]

Refused to and were refused/ordered not to.

Corrected to the actual fact in the situation, both situations did indeed happen. As evident in the write up of Captian Freeman's citiation.

[Hosakawa Tito]

I can't find my copy of the book right now, but an infantryman also got the medal of honour for charging an enemy sniper position on his own during the battle.

This may be the man you seek. Walter J. Marm Jr. (http://www.1stcavmedic.com/cmhcav/marm.html)

[Papewaio]

So did this battle change the way medevacs worked from then on?

It seems that the copters were a lot more capable of taking small arms fire then they initially thought.

[Redleg]

So did this battle change the way medevacs worked from then on?

It seems that the copters were a lot more capable of taking small arms fire then they initially thought.

Yes I believe it did. However one can research the topic and find the necessary answers to the development of the Air Medevac system. I know just a little on the subject not enough to give a definitive answer.