Once Young Soldier Bruce Crandall Receives Medal of Honor

[Capper]

If you haven't had the chance, buy the book "We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young.", if you aren't much of a reader, rent the movie "We were soldiers" with Mel Gibson......fantastic, and tragic story of the first battle of the Viet Nam war for the US.

Bruce Crandall was a pilot who flew 23 missions dropping off supplies and removing wounded, when many other refused to fly......

WASHINGTON — Bruce Crandall was a soldier once ... and young. As a 32-year-old helicopter pilot, he flew through a gantlet of enemy fire, taking ammunition in and wounded Americans out of one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War, Army records say.

Now, a week after his 74th birthday, Crandall received the nation's highest military honor Monday in a White House ceremony with President Bush.

"I'm still here," he said of his 41-year-wait for the Medal of Honor. "Most of these awards are posthumous, so I can't complain."

Crandall's actions in the November 1965 Battle at Ia Drang Valley were depicted in the Hollywood movie "We Were Soldiers," adapted from the book "We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young."

At the time, Crandall was a major commanding a company of the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).

"We had the first airmobile division ... the first one to use aircraft as a means of transportation and sustaining combat," Crandall said. His unit was put together earlier that year to go to Vietnam and "wasn't as thought out as things are today."

He didn't have gunners for his aircraft. That's why he flew unarmed helicopters into the battlefield.

Once Young Soldier Bruce Crandall Receives Medal of Honor

[Dread]

Great book, great movie and some true heroes. It takes not just huge balls to do what he did, but an indescribable empathy and compassion
for his fellow soldiers. Awe inspiring to say the least.

[Quakindude]

I've read the book and saw the movie. He is one of the true icons of American valor and courage. Very well deserved award and even though he says he has nothing to complain about, I'll say it for him. That's forked up it took this long for him to receive it.