Charles Kettles - Medal of Honor

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Kettles, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2016 by President Obama for actions during the Vietnam War, passed on 21 Jan, 2019. In remembrance of him, here is his incredible story.

Kettles, from Ypsilanti, Michigan, studied engineering at Michigan State Normal College before being drafted at age 21 into the Army in 1951. Selected for OCS, he was commissioned as an armor officer in February 1953. He went on to graduate the Army Aviation School in 1954 and served in South Korea, Japan, and Thailand in the next few years.

Kettles returned home in 1956 and took a position with the 4th Battalion, 20th Field Artillery of the Army Reserve in Dewitt, Michigan. He opened a Ford dealership during this timeframe.

In 1963, as the US was becoming involved in greater numbers in Vietnam, Kettles volunteered for active duty. Already a fixed wing pilot, he underwent rotary transition training at Ft Wolters in Texas in 1964. The following year, while on assignment in France, he cross-trained onto the venerable UH-1D Huey.

A new helicopter unit was stood up at Ft Benning in 1966 with Kettles as a flight commander of the 176th Assault Helicopter Company, 14th Combat Aviation Battalion. They went to Vietnam from February 1967 through November 1967. It was about four months into the Vietnam deployment that he would earn our nation's highest award for valor.

In the wee hours of 15 May, 1967 soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division were ambushed along the Song Tra Cau riverbed in Duc Pho by an NVA battalion. Fired upon by intense automatic weapons fire, mortars, and recoilless rifles from a complex of fortified tunnels and bunkers, the troops found their suppressive fire ineffective.

Upon hearing of the men's' plight, then-Major Kettles volunteered to lead a flight of six Hueys in to carry reinforcements and retrieve the wounded.

To describe it as a "hot" LZ would be an understatement. The helos were taken under fire from multiple directions as they approached. Soldiers aboard the choppers were hit and killed before they could even leave the cabins. Friendly aircraft covering the landing dropped napalm and other munitions into the surrounding jungle but provided little relief.

Once on the ground, Kettles refused to leave until all the wounded had been loaded aboard, while his aircraft came under heavy fire from the enemy. They left with the wounded and returned to base for additional supplies before returning to where the 1st Brigade was pinned down.

On their second approach, Kettle's gunner was seriously wounded and the aircraft severely damaged. His wingman reported he had fuel streaming out of his tanks. Nobody would judge a crew for abandoning the aircraft here and returning to base aboard one of the other helicopters, but Kettles refused. He expertly guided his failing aircraft back to base once again.

Despite their resupply and the addition of 160 reinforcements, the battalion commander requested an emergency extraction of the 40 remaining US servicemen still at the riverbed. Kettle's unit also had four soldiers there whose Huey had been destroyed by enemy fire.

Only one of the original six helicopters were in flying condition, with Major Kettles volunteering to make a third trip that day into the breach. Kettles' CO ordered them to stand down and not return to the LZ. His reasoning was too many men and too much equipment had been lost already. Thankfully for the troops on the ground, Kettles respectfully refused. He led a group of six Hueys into the LZ, five others coming from another company.

Kettles' flight landed, extracted the troops, and took off again. The gunships covering the evacuation had also departed. Once in the air Kettles was advised there were still eight Americans that had been left behind, unable to reach the LZ due to the intensity of enemy fire.

Kettles handed off command of the flight to another pilot and headed back into the LZ. A single Huey. Alone. As he described it during a 2016 event, "The gunships had gone back home from lack of fuel and ammunition, artillery shut down for same reason … and the Air Force had gone back home. I don't think it took any thought, there were eight troops down there that didn't want to be there."

As they came in, the helicopter was hit by mortar fire, damaging the tail boom and the main rotor blade, broke both front windshields, and blew out a chin bubble. The small arms and machine gun fire continued unabated on the sole target for the NVA.

Enduring this intense fire, Kettles maintained control of his aircraft and the situation, and got the eight soldiers aboard. Despite the major damage done to his helicopter, he was able to use his skill to get the aircraft and everyone aboard back to base safely. If he hadn't been willing to go back when he did and retrieve those eight men, they surely would have died in that riverbed.

That flight of six Hueys brought back 44 American soldiers that evening.

Kettles CO, who had ordered him not to make that final rescue attempt, upon receiving a recommendation for Kettles to receive the Medal of Honor, refused to sign off on it. So Kettles was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery.

Many years later, while conducting a research project for the State of Michigan, William Vollano, came upon Kettles' story. He took up the cause and got the process started to upgrade Kettles' DSC to the Medal of Honor. This finally happened in 2016 after congressional action was taken. At the awarding event, the ever eloquent President Obama said, "You couldn't make this up. It's like a bad Rambo movie." I'm sure he meant that as a compliment. The Marine guard assisted the President in removing his foot from his mouth after the event.

Kettles continued with the Army, serving again in Vietnam from October, 1969 through October, 1970. After his second tour he went to Ft Sam Houston with the Army Reserve and retired from the Army in 1978 with a Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars, and 27 Air Medals, among other awards and decorations. After retiring he finished his degree, earned a master's degree, and developed the Aviation Management Program at the Eastern Michigan University's College of Technology. Before retiring in 1993, he worked for Chrysler Pentastar Aviation. Prior to his death at age 89, he had returned to Ypsilanti.

Here's an interview done with LTC Kettles wherein he describes the day of his MoH action: http://www.veteransradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/VRP020319-Kettles-Replay.mp3

Medal of Honor

AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING Vietnam War

Service: Army

Battalion: 14th Combat Aviation Battalion

Division: Americal Division

GENERAL ORDERS: Presented at the White House by President Barack Obama on July 18, 2016

CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Major (Field Artillery) Charles S. Kettles (ASN: 0-1938018), United States Army, for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 176th Aviation Company (Airmobile) (Light), 14th Combat Aviation Battalion, Americal Division. On 15 May 1967, Major Kettles, upon learning that an airborne infantry unit had suffered casualties during an intense firefight with the enemy, immediately volunteered to lead a flight of six UH-1D helicopters to carry reinforcements to the embattled force and to evacuate wounded personnel. Enemy small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire raked the landing zone, inflicting heavy damage to the helicopters; however, Major Kettles refused to depart until all helicopters were loaded to capacity. He then returned to the battlefield, with full knowledge of the intense enemy fire awaiting his arrival, to bring more reinforcements, landing in the midst of enemy mortar and automatic weapons fire that seriously wounded his gunner and severely damaged his aircraft. Upon departing, Major Kettles was advised by another helicopter crew that he had fuel streaming out of his aircraft. Despite the risk posed by the leaking fuel, he nursed the damaged aircraft back to base. Later that day, the Infantry Battalion Commander requested immediate, emergency extraction of the remaining 40 troops, including four members of Major Kettles' unit who were stranded when their helicopter was destroyed by enemy fire. With only one flyable UH-1 helicopter remaining, Major Kettles volunteered to return to the deadly landing zone for a third time, leading a flight of six evacuation helicopters, five of which were from the 161st Aviation Company. During the extraction, Major Kettles was informed by the last helicopter that all personnel were onboard, and departed the landing zone accordingly. Army gunships supporting the evacuation also departed the area. Once airborne, Major Kettles was advised that eight troops had been unable to reach the evacuation helicopters due to the intense enemy fire. With complete disregard for his own safety, Major Kettles passed the lead to another helicopter and returned to the landing zone to rescue the remaining troops. Without gunship, artillery, or tactical aircraft support, the enemy concentrated all firepower on his lone aircraft, which was immediately damaged by a mortar round that shattered both front windshields and the chin bubble and was further raked by small arms and machine gun fire. Despite the intense enemy fire, Major Kettles maintained control of the aircraft and situation, allowing time for the remaining eight soldiers to board the aircraft. In spite of the severe damage to his helicopter, Major Kettles once more skillfully guided his heavily damaged aircraft to safety. Without his courageous actions and superior flying skills, the last group of soldiers and his crew would never have made it off the battlefield. Major Kettles' selfless acts of repeated valor and determination are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

Further Reading:
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/pilot-received-moh-5-decades.html