For his conspicuous gallantry during Operation Malheur, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Charles Kettles, U.S. Army, will be awarded the Medal of Honor by U.S. President Obama on Jul. 18.
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Image: U.S. Army
He is credited with saving 40 soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, during an ambush by a battalion-sized enemy force on May 15, 1967 in South Vietnam.
His unit, the 176th Assault Helicopter Company, 14th Combat Aviation Battalion, had only one serviceable UH-1D left and there was an urgent call to evacuate those 40 soldiers and four of his teammates from the Song Tra Cau riverbed. Kettles volunteer to fly with the sole UH-1 and lead five other helicopters from the 161st Aviation Company to the extraction point.
After the six helicopters departed with the soldiers, Kettles was told that eight more soldiers were mistakenly left behind. Kettles then went back alone in his UH-1D to pick up those eight stranded men, without gunship, artillery, or tactical aircraft support.
At the landing zone, the enemy concentrated all their fire power on his rotor-craft and damage the tail boom, a main rotor blade, shattered both front windshields and the chin bubble. Despite the heavy damage and overweight, Kettles skillfully nurse the stricken aircraft out of the danger zone and brought those men back to safety.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions but fifty years later, lawmakers from his home state of Michigan successfully petitioned to have it upgraded to the Medal of Honor.