    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [February 26, 2007]
    [Pages 191-194]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Presenting the Congressional Medal of Honor to Bruce P.
    Crandall
    February 26, 2007

        Welcome. I am pleased that you all are here on a very special day.
    Presenting the Medal of Honor is one of the great privileges for the
    President. The medal is the highest military decoration a President can
    confer. This medal is awarded for actions above and beyond the call of
    duty.
        Today I am proud to bestow this medal on a daring pilot, a devoted
    soldier, and a selfless leader, Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Crandall. I
    welcome Bruce and his wife Arlene back to
    the White House. I congratulate you on 50 years of marriage. She must be
    a patient woman. [Laughter] I also am glad that their three sons and
    three of their grandchildren are here. Welcome. I'm especially pleased
    that some of Bruce's comrades have joined us.
        As an officer, Bruce always put his men before himself. Today his
    men are here for him. And this afternoon, 41 years after his heroic
    actions in Vietnam, America recognizes Bruce Crandall with our highest
    award for valor, the Medal of Honor.
        I appreciate Secretary of Defense Bob Gates joining us today. Mr. Secretary, you're always welcome
    here at the White House. I appreciate the Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
    Jim Nicholson,DNM/ welcome. I appreciate
    Members of the United States Congress who have joined us, starting with
    the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee--Subcommittee
    on Defense, Ted Stevens, the Senator
    from Alaska. Congressman Norm Dicks,
    who happens to be the U.S. Congressman from

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    Colonel Crandall's district. Congressman, welcome. Congressman Jim
    Marshall, Congressman Patrick Murphy, we are glad you're here. Thank you for coming.
        I appreciate very much Dr. Fran Harvey, the Secretary of the Army; General Pete Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs; General Pete
    Schoomaker, Chief of Staff of the United
    States Army.
        I thank all the other members of the military who joined us. I
    particularly want to say thanks and welcome to the Medal of Honor
    recipients who are with us today: Harvey ``Barney'' Barnum, Bob Foley,
    Jake Jacobs--Jack Jacobs, Joe Marm, Bob Patterson, Al Rascon, Gordon
    Roberts, and Brian Thacker. Welcome.
        I appreciate the families, friends, and comrades of Bruce Crandall.
    David Hicks, thank you for your blessings.
        The journey that brought Bruce Crandall to this day began 74 years
    ago in Olympia, Washington. Growing up, Bruce was a gifted athlete and a
    bit of a handful. [Laughter] A teacher once observed that he had, quote,
    ``a unique ability to get into trouble and out of trouble without any
    trouble at all.'' [Laughter] At Olympia High School, Bruce was named an
    All-American in baseball. He batted .612 for the league champs; I think
    we better check the scorecards. [Laughter] His dream was to be drafted
    by the New York Yankees; instead, he got drafted by the U.S. Army.
    [Laughter]
        He was commissioned as an officer, trained as an aviator. His early
    career took him on mapping missions over Alaska and North Africa and
    Latin America. In 1963, he reported to Fort Benning to help lead a new
    unit that would become known as the air cavalry. Two years later, he
    arrived in Vietnam as a major and as a commanding officer in the 229th
    Assault Helicopter Battalion.
        As a leader, Major Crandall earned the respect of his men with his
    honesty and his humor. He earned their admiration with his remarkable
    control over a Huey. His radio call sign was ``Ancient Serpent 6,''
    which his men shortened to ``Old Snake.'' [Laughter] Or sometimes, they
    used a more colorful nickname--[laughter]--which we better not
    pronounce. [Laughter]
        On the morning of November 14th, 1965, Major Crandall's unit was
    transporting a battalion of soldiers to a remote spot in the Ia Drang
    Valley, to a landing zone called X-Ray. After several routine lifts into
    the area, the men on the ground came under a massive attack from the
    North Vietnamese Army. On Major Crandall's next flight, three soldiers
    on his helicopter were killed; three more were wounded. But instead of
    lifting off to safety, Major Crandall kept his chopper on the ground--in
    the direct line of enemy fire--so that four wounded soldiers could be
    loaded aboard.
        Major Crandall flew the men back to base, where the injuries could
    be treated. At that point, he had fulfilled his mission. But he knew
    that soldiers on the ground were outnumbered and low on ammunition, so
    Major Crandall decided to fly back into X-Ray. He asked for a volunteer
    to join him. Captain Ed Freeman stepped
    forward. In their unarmed choppers, they flew through a cloud of smoke
    and a wave of bullets. They delivered desperately needed supplies. They
    carried out more of the wounded, even though medical evacuation was
    really not their mission.
        If Major Crandall had stopped here, he would have been a hero, but
    he didn't stop. He flew back into X-Ray again and again. Fourteen times
    he flew into what they called the Valley of Death. He made those flights
    knowing that he faced what was later described as an ``almost
    unbelievably extreme risk to his life.'' Over the course of the day,
    Major Crandall had to fly three different choppers; two were damaged so
    badly they could not stay in the air. Yet he kept flying until every
    wounded man had been evacuated and every need of the battalion had been
    met.
        When they touched down on their last flight, Major Crandall and
    Captain

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    Freeman had spent more than 14 hours in the
    air. They had evacuated some 70 wounded men. They had provided a
    lifeline that allowed the battalion to survive the day.
        To the men of Ia Drang, the image of Major Crandall's helicopter
    coming to their rescue is one they will never forget. One officer who
    witnessed the battle wrote: ``Major Crandall's actions were without
    question the most valorous I've observed of any helicopter pilot in
    Vietnam.'' The battalion commander said,
    ``Without Crandall, this battalion would almost have surely been
    overrun.'' Another officer said, ``I will always be in awe of Major
    Bruce Crandall.''
        For his part, Bruce has never seen it that way. Here's what he said:
    ``There was never a consideration that we would not go into those
    landing zones. They were my people down there, and they trusted in me to
    come and get them.''
        As the years have passed, Bruce Crandall's character and leadership
    have only grown clearer. He went on to make more rescue flights in
    Vietnam. He served a second tour, and he retired from the Army as a
    lieutenant colonel. As a private citizen, he's continued to serve. He's
    worked in local government, and he speaks to students all across our
    country. One of his favorite stops is Midland, Texas. [Laughter] It
    happens--where Laura and I grew up. In fact, he's
    been to Midland so many times they gave him the key of the city. It's
    not exactly the Medal of Honor. [Laughter] It's not a bad thing to have.
    [Laughter] Maybe one day I'll get a key to the city. [Laughter]
        A few years ago, Bruce learned he was being considered for our
    Nation's highest military distinction. When he found out that Captain
    Freeman had also been nominated, Bruce
    insisted that his own name be withdrawn. If only one of them were to
    receive the Medal of Honor, he wanted it to be his wingman. So when I
    presented the medal to Captain Freeman in 2001, Bruce was here in the
    White House. Captain Freeman wished he were here today, but he got
    snowed in, in Iowa. But his spirit is with us. And today the story comes
    to its rightful conclusion: Bruce Crandall received the honor he always
    deserved.
        In men like Bruce Crandall, we really see the best of America. He
    and his fellow soldiers were brave, brave folks. They were as noble and
    selfless as any who have ever worn our Nation's uniform. And on this day
    of pride, we remember their comrades who gave their lives and those who
    are still missing. We remember the terrible telegrams that arrived at
    Fort Benning, the families devastated, the children who traced their
    father's name on panel three-east of the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
        Our sadness has not diminished with time. Yet we're also comforted
    by the knowledge that the suffering and grief could have been far worse.
    One of the reasons it was not is because the man we honor today. For the
    soldiers rescued, for the men who came home, for the children they had
    and the lives they made: America is in debt to Bruce Crandall. It's a
    debt our Nation can never really fully repay, but today we recognize it
    as best as we're able, and we bestow upon this good and gallant man the
    Medal of Honor.
        Commander, please read the citation.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:30 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Maj. Gen. David Hicks, USA, Army
    Chief of Chaplains. Following the President's remarks, Lt. Cmdr.
    Geoffrey Gagnier, Coast Guard Aide to the President, read the citation.

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