HEROES:MOH Recipient Bruce P. Crandall Traditional Cache
HEROES:MOH Recipient Bruce P. Crandall
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
While caching this summer across the U.S. we discovered a
“Power Cache” series in Nevada. There were 120 caches
placed along a dirt road and they were close enough for us to log
100 caches in one day! It was a real thrill to log so many caches
in one day… so we would like to give all of you the
opportunity to do the same.
We thought it would be nice to put these caches out for Veterans
Day, so we chose 100 of the 246 Medal of Honor Recipients from the
Vietnam War, and each one of the caches will honor one of these
American Heroes. Of the 246 MOH Recipients from the Vietnam War 63%
were awarded posthumously. ( ** Represents MOH Awarded
Posthumously) Please take the time to read the citation for each
and remember them this Veterans Day.
HAVE FUN!!
Bruce P Crandall
Rank and Organization: Major, U.S. Army, Company A, 229th Assault
Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Place and
dates: Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 14 November 1965.
Place and date of birth: Olympia, Washington, 1933. 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 Ia 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.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures