Bruce P. Crandall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bruce P. Crandall
|
|
|---|---|
Crandall in the mid-1960s
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "Snake", "Snakeshit" |
| Born | February 17, 1933 Olympia, Washington |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Army |
| Years of service | 1953–1977 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Operation Power Pack Vietnam War
|
| Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Flying Cross (4) Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal (3) Air Medal (23) |
| Spouse(s) |
Arlene Shaffer
(m. 1956; died 2010) |
| Relations | 3 children, 5 grandchildren |
| Other work | City Manager of Dunsmuir, California Public Works Manager of Mesa, Arizona |
Bruce Perry Crandall (born February 17, 1933) is a brave retired United States Army officer. He earned the highest military award, the Medal of Honor. He received it for his amazing actions as a helicopter pilot during the Battle of Ia Drang in Vietnam. This battle happened on November 14, 1965.
During the battle, Crandall flew 22 dangerous missions. He flew his Bell Huey helicopter into heavy enemy fire. He helped rescue over 70 wounded soldiers. He also brought much-needed ammunition and supplies to American troops. His bravery in the Ia Drang valley was shown in the movie We Were Soldiers. Actor Greg Kinnear played him. By the end of the Vietnam War, Crandall had flown more than 900 combat missions. He retired from the army as a lieutenant colonel. He later worked in different jobs before settling down in Washington. As of 2024, Crandall lives in Tempe, Arizona.
Contents
About Bruce Crandall's Life
Bruce Crandall was born in 1933. He grew up in Olympia, Washington, the state capital. He went to public schools there. In high school, he was an excellent baseball player. He was even named an All-American. Crandall attended the University of Washington in Seattle. He joined the United States Army in 1953 during the Korean War.
Crandall married Arlene Shaffer on March 31, 1956. They had three sons and five grandchildren. Arlene passed away on November 2, 2010, from cancer.
Bruce Crandall's Military Career
Crandall finished Engineer Officer Candidate School in 1954. This was at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He then trained to fly both fixed-wing planes and helicopters. After training, he joined an Army Aviation mapping group. This group was based in Presidio of San Francisco. It was the largest flying military aviation unit at the time.
He started by flying planes like the Cessna L-19 Bird Dog and de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver. He used them in Alaska for military mapping. His first overseas flying job was in Tripoli, Libya. For two years, he mapped the desert there. He flew different types of aircraft as an instructor pilot.
Next, Crandall flew over huge areas of unmapped mountains and jungles. These missions were in Central and South America. He was based at Howard Air Force Base, Panama. He also helped create new air-assault tactics. In 1965, he joined the Dominican Republic Expeditionary Force. Later that year, he went to South Vietnam. The United States was helping South Vietnam against Communist North Vietnam. Crandall led Company A of the 1st Cavalry Division. His unit, the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, was at Camp Radcliff. He supported eight ground battalions. His call sign was "Ancient Serpent 6".
The Battle of Ia Drang
On November 14, 1965, Crandall led the first big operation of the Vietnam War. He landed soldiers from the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 7th Cavalry Regiment into Landing Zone X-Ray. This started the fierce Battle of Ia Drang. During the battle, he helped evacuate about 70 wounded soldiers. His wingman, Major Ed Freeman, also helped.
Many of these flights were made even though the Medevac unit refused to land. The landing zone was under very heavy enemy fire. Crandall rescued over 75 injured soldiers in his helicopters. His flying day started at 6 AM and ended at 10:30 PM. This was more than 16 hours of flying. He said it was the longest day he ever spent in an aircraft. He had to use several helicopters. Each one became badly damaged during the intense fighting.
Crandall and Freeman also flew in much-needed ammunition. This ammunition helped the 7th Cavalry survive. The helicopters he flew were not armed. Crandall first received the Distinguished Service Cross. This award was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor. President George W. Bush presented it to him on February 26, 2007.
Operation Masher
On January 31, 1966, Crandall had finished a long day of flying. He was supporting the 12th Infantry Battalion. This was during "Operation Masher". It was a joint American and South Vietnamese operation. He returned to refuel his helicopter for the night. Then he learned that a company of soldiers was in heavy enemy contact. Twelve wounded soldiers needed to be evacuated. These soldiers were trapped in a small area. The unit was led by Captain Tony Nadal, a friend of Crandall's.
Crandall refueled and flew to the area. He found out the pick-up zone was surrounded by trees. He was told that the Medevac helicopters would not land there. To avoid hitting the trees, he decided to land straight down. The night was very dark with cloudy skies. This made flying extremely difficult. He did not want to give the enemy an easy target. He also did not want to light up the soldiers defending the landing zone. So, he did not use searchlights. Instead, he told Nadal to point a flashlight up in the center of the landing spot. Crandall landed twice under heavy enemy fire. He successfully rescued all 12 wounded soldiers.
Later Military Service
After an assignment in Colorado, Crandall went to the Armed Forces Staff College. Soon, he was back in South Vietnam. This time, he flew UH-1 Huey gunships. He supported the 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Squadron.
In January 1968, Crandall's helicopter was shot down. This happened during another rescue attempt. Air force bombs exploded too close to his helicopter. He spent five months in the hospital. He recovered from a broken back and other injuries. Then, he continued his career. He studied at the University of Nebraska, graduating in 1969. He became a facility engineer in Bangkok, Thailand. He managed 3,800 people there. He later served at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
His next assignment was supposed to be in South America. He and his wife, Arlene, studied Spanish. This was at the Defense Language Institute in California. He was to be an aviation and engineering adviser to Argentina. However, he had a stroke, which ended his flying career. After recovering, he went to Caracas, Venezuela. He worked for the Defense Mapping Agency. In his final army job, he advised the California Army National Guard. In 1977, he retired from the army as a lieutenant colonel.
Life After the Army
_and_Bruce_Crandall,_(right).jpg)
After retiring from the army, Crandall earned a master's degree. He got it from Golden Gate University in 1977. He then worked in public service jobs. He was the city manager of Dunsmuir, California, for three years. After leaving California, he and his wife moved to Mesa, Arizona. He worked for 17 years in the Public Works Department. For four of those years, he was the public works manager. His wife passed away on November 2, 2010. She is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Crandall was promoted to colonel on April 15, 2010. This was more than 30 years after he retired. It was to honor his achievements and for receiving the Medal of Honor. The ceremony was held in Fort Worth, Texas. He attended the unveiling of Leroy Petry's statue on June 24, 2013. Petry is another Medal of Honor recipient. Crandall also raised the "12th Man" flag for the Seattle Seahawks football game on November 17, 2013. This was part of the Seahawks "Salute to Service".
Awards and Decorations
Crandall has received many military awards:
 |
|||||
  |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
   |
 |
 |
|||
  |
 |
 |
|||
 |
 .png){kind=small} |
 |
|||
  |
|||
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
Other Special Honors
Crandall was honored by the United States Air Force in 1994. He was inducted into their "Gathering of Eagles". He was one of only seven Army aviators to receive this honor. In 2004, he was inducted into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame.
For his bravery during Operation Masher, Crandall received the Aviation & Space Writers Helicopter Heroism Award in 1966. His rescue flights were ranked as the best in the award's first 20 years.
The baseball field at Olympia High School was named after Lt. Col. Crandall in 2003. He was an All-American baseball player for the school. Crandall was the honorary starter for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 race.
On April 15, 2011, Crandall became an honorary member of the 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment. He signed the Squadron rolls during a special ball. He also helped induct officers and NCOs into the Order of St. Michael.
Crandall's brave actions at the Battle of Ia Drang are shown in the 1992 book We Were Soldiers Once...And Young. This book was written by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway. The 2002 movie We Were Soldiers is based on this book. Crandall was played by Greg Kinnear in the movie. Crandall also worked as an aviation consultant for the film in 2001.
University of Washington Medal of Honor Memorial
The University of Washington has a special memorial. It honors all eight alumni who received the Medal of Honor. This memorial was built at the south end of Memorial Way. It was paid for by private donations. It was finished in November 2009. The memorial honors brave individuals like Greg Boyington, Bruce Crandall, and others.
See also
In Spanish: Bruce Crandall para niños
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War
- List of University of Washington people
- List of Golden Gate University people
