Vietnam Vet May Finally Get Medal of Honor

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On May 15, 1967, after an airborne infantry unit was ambushed in the Song Tra Cau riverbed by North Vietnamese troops, then Army Maj. Charles S. Kettles made three trips into the hostile territory in his helicopter to deliver supplies and reinforcements, and evacuate wounded and trapped U.S. troops.

After the third flight, eight soldiers remained on the ground. He returned to the volatile situation on his own, without support, and brought the men back to safety.

On that day, the Ypsilanti resident saved 40 of them soldiers and four helicopter crewmen from the 176th Aviation Co.

Kettles, now 85, never received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military recognition.

Three members of Michigan’s congressional delegation aim to change that with legislation requested by the Ypsilanti Rotary Club’s Veterans History Project and introduced by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, and U.S. Sens. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, and Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing.

In a statement, they said Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter agreed Kettles went beyond the call of duty and is deserving of the Medal of Honor, but congressional action is required because the statute of limitations — normally, the Medal of Honor must be awarded within five years — has passed.

Only about 3,400 Medals of Honor have been awarded for valor in combat since the recognition was authorized in 1861. According to the Army, “Medals of Honor are awarded sparingly and are bestowed only to the bravest of the brave; and that courage must be well documented.”

Kettles told The Detroit News he was just doing his job.

“I had to do what I thought was necessary,” he said. “I couldn’t leave anyone behind.”

He said the helicopter was already 15 in the air when he decided to go back and get the remaining stranded troops.

“The helicopter was already overweight and it flew like a two-ton truck, but we were able to get up in the air and get everyone to safety,” he said.

Kettles was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1968, the second-highest military honor, but members of the Ypsilanti Rotary’s Veterans History Project didn’t think his valor had been properly recognized.

In 2012, William Vollano of the Veterans History Project launched a formal campaign, according to Peters’ office.

“I was so impressed by Major Kettles’ story and wondered why he wasn’t awarded the Medal of Honor,” Vallano, of Ann Arbor, told The Detroit News “It was a lot of channels that we had to go through, but we are confident that the bill will pass. You wouldn’t believe all the things he has done and yet he is one of the most low-key veterans you will ever meet.”

Kettles, who was drafted into the Army in 1951, served two tours in Vietnam, then returned to Ypsilanti, where he finished his bachelor’s degree and earned a master’s degree, both in aviation, from Eastern Michigan University. He retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel.

He taught aviation classes at EMU, where he established an aviation management degree program, and also worked for Chrysler Pentastar Aviation.

The process to get the award for Kettles was started last year by then-Congressman John Dingell. His wife and successor in Michigan’s 12th District, Debbie Dingell, said in the statement that the legislation she, Peters and Stabenow introduced “will ensure that 48 years after his service, his contributions to our country are properly honored.”

Peters and Stabenow echoed that.

“Under heavy enemy fire, Major Kettles selflessly put his life on the line to save his fellow service members, leaving no one behind,” said Peters, a former lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. “Major Kettles’ actions exemplified the valor, grit, and honor that makes our military the best in the world. It is my honor to join Congresswoman Dingell in helping to ensure Major Kettles is properly recognized for his devotion to our country and commitment to his fellow soldiers.”

“This bill will help make sure Major Kettles is awarded the Medal of Honor without delay and will recognize the true selflessness and bravery of his actions in Vietnam,” Stabenow said.