Medal of Honor recipient Bruce Crandall, whose heroism was chronicled in ‘We Were Soldiers Once,’ dies at 93
By Claire Barrett
Tuesday, Jun 2, 2026
Ret. Col. Bruce Crandall would receive the nation’s highest honor for valor in 2007 for his actions during the Nov. 14, 1965, Battle of Ia Drang — the first major battle of the Vietnam War. (U.S. Army)
Ret. Col. Bruce Crandall, who led more than 900 combat missions during two tours in Vietnam and received the Medal of Honor for repeatedly flying his helicopter into intense enemy fire to evacuate dozens of wounded troops, died on May 31. He was 93.
Crandall, while recognized for his heroism, will be best remembered for the “warmth of his wit, the depth of his humility and the fierce loyalty he gave to the people and communities he loved,” according to a Congressional Medal of Honor Society release.
Born in February 1933, Olympia, Washington, the All-American athlete had dreams of being drafted by the New York Yankees and earned a scholarship to the University of Washington. That dream was deferred, however, when Crandall was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1953.
Crandall would subsequently receive the nation’s highest honor for valor during the Nov. 14, 1965, Battle of Ia Drang — the first major clash of the Vietnam War, made famous by the book We Were Soldiers Once … and Young: Ia Drang–The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam and the subsequent movie of the same name.
https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/military-history/2026/06/02/medal-of-honor-recipient-bruce-crandall-whose-heroism-was-chronicled-in-we-were-soldiers-once-dies-at-93/
