Bruce P. Crandall obit

 

Congressional Medal of Honor Society Mourns the Passing of Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipient Bruce P. Crandall

He was not on the list.

Colonel Bruce Perry Crandall, United States Army (Ret.), a devoted husband, proud father, spirited storyteller, and cherished friend to many, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2026, at his residence at Mirabella at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. He was 93 years old. Now, there are only 63 living Medal of Honor Recipients.

Though recognized nationally for his heroism during the Vietnam War, those who knew Bruce best remember the warmth of his wit, the depth of his humility, and the fierce loyalty he gave to the people and communities he loved.

Bruce was born in Olympia, Washington, in February 1933. He grew up with a love for baseball and a strong sense of duty that would guide his life. An All-American high school athlete, he earned a scholarship to the University of Washington with hopes of one day playing professional baseball for the New York Yankees. That dream changed in 1953 when he was not drafted by the Yankees, but by the United States Army.

Bruce had already joined the Army National Guard at just 15 years old. After completing basic training at Fort Lewis, only a short distance from his hometown, he attended Engineer Officer Candidate School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, followed by fixed-wing and helicopter flight training. Commissioned as an Army officer in 1954, his first assignment placed him with a topographical mapping unit in San Francisco, contributing to surveys of the Alaskan frontier.

His first overseas assignment came in 1956 at Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya, where he served as a flight instructor and unit test pilot while helping map the North African desert. Subsequent assignments took him to Panama and Costa Rica, where he flew thousands of miles of aerial mapping missions over previously unmapped regions of Central and South America. Later, as a platoon commander with the 11th Air Assault Division, he helped develop and refine the air assault tactics that would forever change Army aviation.

In early 1965, Bruce served with the Dominican Republic Expeditionary Force before deploying to Vietnam as a flight commander with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Known by the call sign “Ancient Serpent 6,” he quickly became affectionately known among his Soldiers as “Old Snake.”

On November 14, 1965, during the Battle of Ia Drang, Bruce led a flight of sixteen helicopters carrying Soldiers into Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley. As enemy fire intensified, follow-on aircraft were ordered to abort their mission. Recognizing that the infantry battalion on the ground desperately needed ammunition and that wounded Soldiers remained trapped under fire, Bruce made a decision that would define his legacy.

Though resupply and medical evacuation were not part of his assigned mission, he voluntarily returned to the embattled landing zone. With complete disregard for his own safety, he organized volunteer crews and repeatedly flew his unarmed helicopter into one of the most dangerous battlefields of the Vietnam War. Throughout the day and into the evening, he completed 22 flights through relentless enemy fire, delivering critical ammunition, evacuating wounded Soldiers, and inspiring fellow aviators to continue flying missions into the fight.

His actions saved countless lives, strengthened the resolve of the Soldiers on the ground, and became one of the most celebrated acts of courage in Army aviation history. For his extraordinary heroism, Bruce was awarded the Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush in 2007.

Bruce’s actions during the Battle of Ia Drang were later chronicled in the bestselling book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young by Lieutenant General Hal Moore and Joseph Galloway and portrayed in the 2002 film We Were Soldiers.

Crandall continued serving throughout the Vietnam War, including a second combat tour, and ultimately flew more than 900 combat missions. During Operation Masher in 1966, he earned recognition for rescuing 12 wounded Soldiers under fire. After being severely injured when his helicopter was shot down in 1968, he recovered and continued his Army career in a series of leadership and engineering assignments before retiring from the Army in 1977 as a lieutenant colonel.

His military decorations include the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, 24 Air Medals, the Vietnam Service Medal, and numerous other awards and commendations.

In retirement, Bruce remained a tireless ambassador for Army aviation, the Medal of Honor, and the men with whom he served. He was honored by the Air Force’s Gathering of Eagles in 1994, inducted into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004, and recognized through the naming of the headquarters building of the 1st Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in his honor.

Despite the many accolades he received, Bruce never sought recognition for himself. He consistently redirected attention to the Soldiers he served beside and the sacrifices made by those who never returned home. To the end of his life, he viewed the Medal not as a personal achievement, but as a reminder of duty, service, and the bonds forged in combat.

In the final decade of his life, Bruce was rarely seen without his beloved canine companion, Huey – appropriately named after the iconic UH-1 “Huey” helicopter he flew in combat. Faithful and inseparable, Huey accompanied Bruce through countless days, offering companionship, comfort, and no shortage of smiles. For those who knew Bruce, it was hard to imagine one without the other.

Above all else, Bruce was a family man, a loyal friend, and a humble servant whose life reflected courage, sacrifice, integrity, commitment, citizenship, and patriotism. Even as health challenges increased in his later years, he remained deeply committed to the Medal of Honor community and the fellowship of his fellow Recipients, making every effort to attend the 2025 Convention in Chattanooga and National Medal of Honor Day events in Washington, D.C., in 2026. His presence, humor, and friendship were cherished by those privileged to stand alongside him.

His legacy lives on in the countless lives he saved, the Soldiers he inspired, and the generations who will continue to learn from his example. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

. His actions in the battle of the Ia Drang valley were portrayed by actor Greg Kinnear in the Mel Gibson film, We Were Soldiers.