REAL PEOPLE/ONE VETERAN’S STORY
A Medal of Honor, Long Overdue
U.S. Army veteran Dwight W. Birdwell on waiting more than 50 years to receive full recognition for his courage in battle
Birdwell wearing the Medal of Honor.
I AM HESITANT to talk about what happened that day—January 31, 1968. A lot of brave men lost their lives or were gravely wounded. At Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon, we were two platoons, no more than 80 U.S. Army troops total, facing at least 1,000 Vietcong soldiers who were trying to capture the base. In the fighting, one of our platoons was completely wiped out. Those of us who were left in the other platoon received fire from both sides. My tank commander was seriously wounded, so I took charge. At one point, I ran through gunfire to collect more ammunition from disabled vehicles. I was wounded in my face and torso, but our platoon was able to keep the enemy at bay until help arrived. Then we gained the upper hand and secured the safety of the air base—and Saigon itself.
My commanding officer on that day, Lt. Col. Glenn Otis, let me know that he was going to initiate a process for me to be considered for the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest honor for valor in battle. But before he could complete the process, he was gravely wounded and evacuated. I was awarded the Silver Star, which is nothing to sneeze at. But it’s not the same thing.
I am a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. I got a lot of flak for that in Vietnam. People said, “Don’t give him firewater or he’ll go crazy” or “He’ll scalp us while we’re sleeping.” Along with Mexican soldiers and Black soldiers, I faced this kind of prejudice again and again. And I had to wonder whether the color of my skin had anything to do with my not getting put in for the Medal of Honor.
With fellow soldiers, 1967.
When I got back to the States, I was surprised by the attitude of a lot of people I encountered. Compared to veterans of Korea, WWII and WWI, it was a cold reception.
In 1981, I met up with Glenn Otis, who was then a four-star general. He asked what had happened with the Medal of Honor. When I told him, “Nothing,” he said, “Someday, we’re going to have that corrected.” Later on, he initiated the process, and he designated a retired major named Jerry Headley to see it through in the event of his death. Otis died in 2013, but Headley and a Vietnam vet named Bob Pedigo kept working on the medal process, which is really rigorous. Finally, in 2022, I was awarded the medal by President Joe Biden.
I was very, very honored that day, and I still am. Having the medal has changed my outlook somewhat. It has helped to offset some of the bitterness of the past.
But I must say, as honored as I am: The medal is really for the guys who were killed that day, the guys who were seriously wounded, and their families. I will never forget them or what they sacrificed. I’m the one who received the medal, but it belongs to them too. —As told to A.J. Baime
Former U.S. Army Specialist 5 Dwight W. Birdwell, 77, is a retired attorney in Oklahoma.
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