Walter marm we were soldiers book

Based on the book we were soldiers once and young 1992 by lieutenant general ret. An interview with medal of honor recipient walter marm. Book 1 was a finalist for nonfiction autobiography book of the year in 2015. Crandall, for actions during the ia drang valley battle of 1965. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 north vietnamese soldiers. A veteran of the lost platoon remembers vietnam mpr news. Portraits of valor beyond the call of duty, peter collier said of the engagement, it was the first largescale pitched battle between american and north vietnamese troops, and would later be dramatized in the film we were soldiers. A total of three soldiers were awarded the medal of honor for the battle represented in this film. Harold moore, were dropped into a small clearing in the ia drang valley.

Gary roches friend, bruce crandall and his wingman, ed w. Moores 1st battalion, 7th cavalry conducted a heliborne assault into landing zone xray near the chu pong hills. The real story of mel gibsons we were soldiers, the. On february 26, 2007, crandall received the medal of honor. Walter joseph marm, jr this theres a book out called we were soldiers once and young written by our battalion commander and the only reporter at the battle. Mgen hal moore ltc received the distinguished service cross, csm basil plumley sgm received the silver star, 2lt walter marm platoon leader received the medal of honor, maj bruce crandall helicopter pilot received the medal. The movie is based on the book we were soldiers once.

Marm led his platoon through withering fire until they were finally forced to take cover. Walter joseph marm, jr this theres a book out called we were soldiers once and young. We were soldiers walter marm medal of honor ia drang moh signed 4x6 postcard. We were bound for a small clearing called landing zone xray, where an. We hope everyone learns something and remembers these men and their moment when they acted without.

Marm 1965 ia drang medal of honor moment youtube lt. Not only was marm an unknown quantity, so was the whole operation. Medal of honor recipient walter marm will keynote rotc. Hal moore and joe galloway have captured the terror and exhilaration, the. In 1993 beck traveled back to the ia drang battlefield with general moore, joe galloway, and vietnamese veterans of the battle. Medal of honor recipient recounts battle of ia drang the. But there was, it was surrounded by we were about 5 kilometers from the cambodian border. Marm spent time speaking about the book written by joe galloway about that battle, we were soldiers onceand young. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was brutally slaughtered. We were we were very fortunate in fact the landing zone we went into was about a six was about an 8 shipper landing zone.

Moore and then the film we were soldiers that starred actor mel gibson as lt. Marm led his platoon through withering fire until they were. Colonel walter marm, retired, who received the medal of honor in 1966, knows about courage. His company was moving through the valley to relieve a friendly unit surrounded by an enemy force of estimated regimental size. Crandall, ed freeman, chickenhawk book, robert mason writer, rick rescorla, hal moore, julia compton moore, walter joseph marm, jr. Jack geoghegan played by chris klein, who was later killed rescuing a fellow soldier. And young, and in the 2002 movie based on that book. Marms actions in that 4 day adventure are briefly captured in the movie but he goes unnamed. Medal of honor recipient walter marm interview pritzker. According to hal moore, we were soldiers is the only movie to get it right.

Galloway and moore wrote a second book, we are soldiers still, which he said grew out of a journey back to the battlefields of vietnam 25 years later. Galloway, it dramatizes the battle of ia drang on november 14, 1965. Nov 06, 2014 last weekend, i met another medal of honor winner, colonel walter marm, us army retired, who at while serving as a 1st lieutenant and company commander at the battle of the ia drang valley in november 1965, won the medal of honor, in a battle now immortalized in the movie we were soldiers. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of a. Medal of honor recipient walter marm will keynote rotc fighting scots battalions dining out event. Born and raised in washington, pa, the son of a state trooper, marm attended a parochial school where he competed on a rifle team and excelled in the boy scouts. His story has been told in the bestselling book, we were soldiers once. Joe marm eventually recovered from his wounds and had risen to the rank of colonel by the time the book was published. They also reflect on lessons learned throughout their careers how they were both changed by war, and how those lessons apply to. Retired colonel walter marm is a native of the pittsburgh area and. Last weekend, i met another medal of honor winner, colonel walter marm, us army retired, who at while serving as a 1st lieutenant and company commander at the battle of the ia drang valley in november 1965, won the medal of honor, in a battle now immortalized in the movie we were soldiers. In november 1965, some 450 men of the 1st battalion, 7th cavalry, under the command of lt. Army company a, 1st battalion, 7th cavalry, 1st cavalry division airmobile when walter marm graduated from college with a business degree in 1964, vietnam was a distant place that didnt figure in his personal geography. The battle inspired the book we were soldiers once and young by lt.

Introduction in november 1965, the 7th cavalry regiment of the u. It later was made into the 2002 movie we were soldiers, starring mel gibson as moore and greg kinnear as crandall. Hal moore and i became best friends, and eventually we researched and wrote we were soldiers once and young, a book that told the stories of the battles of xray and albany, and we. Marm s wound was not life threatening, but required evacuation to the states.

Hal moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing each year, the commandant of the u. The unknown battle to defend the demilitarized zone against north korea during the cold war volume 3. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. In their stunning followup to the classic bestseller we were soldiers once. Crandall, a major at the time of the battle, was a consultant on the movie set. We were soldiers once contains a wonderful summary of this british leaders influence on the battle and the people around him, but ill leave you to discover this and give a more general comment. Known as an airmobile unit, it was part of a nascent battlefield strategy the army had been testing. As a platoon leader in the 1st cavalry division airmobile, 1st lt. The real story of mel gibsons we were soldiers, the battle. The battle of ia drang was later dramatized in the film we were soldiers. Marm said he was among 150 army soldiers that went into battle at ia drang. Stolen valor on this day in history, 14 november 1965.

It was the 1992 publication and vietnamese translation of we were soldiers once. Galloway was a young combat reporter and found himself embedded with the command unit of the 1st cavalry division in the valley during the battle. Army, vietnam during 2019, freedoms foundation and the friends of the medal of honor grove are paying tribute to the living recipients of the medal of honor on the anniversary of the actions for which they earned the nations highest award for valor. Aug 15, 2016 on saturday, veterans from around eastern north carolina were able to meet a true war hero. Jack geoghegan was killed in action while his platoon was defending a section of the lz perimeter from a north vietnamese attack the next morning. Marm led his platoon through withering fire until they were finally forced. We were soldiers is a 2002 american war film directed by randall wallace and starring mel gibson. Marm, then a secondlieutenant in company a, 1st battalion, 7th cavalry regiment, 1st cavalry division airmobile, singlehandedly attacked an enemy machine gun bunker during an attempt to save a platoon of soldiers surrounded by the enemy. Hal moore and joe galloway return to vietnam and reflect on how the war changed them, their men, their enemies, and both countriesoften with surprising results. Marm 1965 ia drang medal of honor moment within the military history forums, part of the armed services category.

Although schooled in the art of war, joe marm didnt know the slightest thing about true combat when he arrived in vietnam as a 23yearold army lieutenant in 1965. The battle of ia drang valley vietnam veterans memorial fund. Medal of honor recipient walter marm interview pritzker military. We were soldiers 2002 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Marm 1965 ia drang medal of honor moment lionheart filmworks. Soldiers of the 2nd battalion, 7th air cavalry were sent to the second landing zone, lz albany, which was around a 30 minute helicopter flight north of ia drang valley. Oct 20, 1991 the commandants choice for 1993 was we were soldiers once. In we are soldiers still, galloway and moore find occasion to reconcile with old enemies, examine the face of a land once scarred by war and now reclaimed by nature, and honor friends and young men lost in battle. There on the ground, beck recovered artifacts from the battle and confirmed the accuracy of his memory of the battlefield. It was a very intense battle, marm said of the battle of ia drang, for which he was awarded the medal of honor. They were soldiers once, and young and today, though many years older, they are soldiers still.

Col r walter marm 2015 living legend awardee youtube. He received the living legend award for his unwavering service to our nation and its army. As a platoon leader in the 1st cavalry division airmobile, 1lt marm demonstrated indomitable courage during a combat operation. He served his country with distinction and valor for over 32 years during the wars in korea and vietnam where he was immortalized, the army said in a.

He was the young lieutenant who charged a north vietnamese machine gun fortified in a rockhard anthill to help rescue the lost platoon in the battle of ia drang in november 1965. The book was the basis for the 2002 feature film we were soldiers. We were soldiers walter marm medal of honor ia drang moh. Two new board members for freedoms foundation freedoms. We were soldiers walter marm medal of honor ia drang moh signed 4x6 postcard ebay. Listen a veteran of the lost platoon remembers vietnam galen bungum, 72, was a soldier in the vietnam war and fought in the first major battle of the war, the battle of ia drang, on november 14. In 2002, randall wallace depicted the first part of the battle in the film we were soldiers starring mel gibson and barry pepper as moore and galloway, and sam elliott portraying sgm basil plumley. Medal of honor recipients portrayed on film lyle f. Marm was born in washington, pennsylvania to walter and dorothy marm, a pennsylvania state police officer. We were soldiers article the united states army army.

Joe, fifty, platoon leader, bravo company, 1st battalion, 7th cavalry and the only man to receive the medal of honor, americas highest decoration for valor, in the ia drang campaign, is a colonel and still on active duty after twentyeight years. Major bruce crandall made over 20 flights into intense enemy fire during a battle in the ia drang valley, south vietnam, in november 1965, evacuating 70 wounded and delivering ammunition. The battle was later dramatized in the film we were soldiers. Rip hal moore, allamerican badass whose bravery on the. Freeman and crandall were helicopter pilots who flew frequent relief and resupply missions into the heart of the. Ia drang was the first major battle of the vietnam war, marm said, and was the later topic of a book and a movie, we were soldiers, starring mel gibson. Nov 12, 2015 retired colonel walter marm is a native of the pittsburgh area and served in the u.

Bob is an award winning author for his we were soldiers too series. It comprised two main engagements, centered on two previously scouted helicopter landing zones lzs, known as lz xray and lz. Too tall freeman also received medals for action there. May 20, 2012 the 2002 movie we were soldiers, starring mel gibson as moore is based on the book and reasonably accurate by hollywood standards. The next day, twelve north vietnamese soldiers were found dead in the nest. Feb 10, 2018 a new series featured only on this channel bringing to life with vivid recreations and sound the individual stories of the men who have been awarded the nations highest honor for valor the. His actions were depicted in the film we were soldiers. Book two continues to win awards in numerous contests in the nonfiction category. Joe galloway, author of the book we were soldiers once. Veterans receive heroes welcome in lincolnton local. Pennsylvania native walter joe marm had only been in the army about a year when he embarked on the first combat test of the armys new concept of warfare, the airmobile assault. Incountry only two months, joe marm soon became a hero tuesday, april 25, 2000.

He was wounded in the neck and jaw in his lone charge but killed all the combatants at the machine gun. Freeman and crandall were helicopter pilots who flew frequent relief and resupply missions into the heart of the battle when medevac choppers could not. Joseph marm was awarded the medal of honor, the nations highest award for valor, for actions taken in vietnam on november 14, 1965, during the battle of. Marm demonstrated indomitable courage during a combat operation. The book received a bronze medal from the nonfiction authors association. Although schooled in the art of war, joe marm didnt know the slightest. Walter joseph marm was awarded the medal of honor for his actions in 1965, during the infamous battle of ia drang in vietnam. Instead of helicopters being used exclusively to evacuate wounded soldiers and transport supplies, they were going to be used to deploy troops. Marm assaulted the gun himself, with rifle and grenades. Medal of honor recipient walter marm interview walter marm received the medal of honor outside the pentagon on december 19, 1966, the first of three that were awarded for heroism in the battle of ia drang. Having said all that, in terms of covering reallife medal of honor recipients, by the same objective criteria by which we ve classified the other films discussed in this website, we must reluctantly place the coverage or lack thereof of ed freeman and walter joseph marm in we were soldiers in the blown opportunities category. His heroism also is highlighted in the book, we were soldiers once. The battle of ia drang was the first major battle between the united states army and the peoples army of vietnam pavn, also referred to as the north vietnamese army nva, and was part of the pleiku campaign conducted early in the vietnam war.

Now 71, he plans to attend the congressional medal of. During midnovember 1965, moore then a lieutenant colonel led 450 officers and men from the us armys 1st cavalry division into the ia drang valley, a trackless waste near vietnams border with cambodia that served as a communist sanctuary and infiltration route into vietnams central highlands. Pennsylvanias only living medal of honor recipient being. But other soldiers, along with united press international correspondent joe galloway, had witnessed and reported his heroic act. Joseph marm was awarded the medal of honor, the nations highest award for valor, for actions taken in vietnam on november 14, 1965, during the first major battle between north vietnamese and u. Marm joe is one of 3 medal of honor recipients awarded a moh for his action in the ia drang valley in vietnam. Almost as soon as they arrived, american forces were engaged in a series of constant contact. A pennsylvania native, marm was assigned to the 7th squadron of the 1st cavalry division and sent to vietnam in september 1965. The journal of scott pendleton collins is the kind of book that ends up on summer reading lists and i hope that some kids actually do read it this summer, as well as perhps some of the other fine books by walter dean myers. In 2002 a movie was made about them, we were soldiers.

Battle of ia drang army heritage center foundation. Marine corps selects one book that he believes is both relevant and timeless. For a complete explanation of what this series is all about, check my blog entry here although vanessa has absolutely no sense of history, she did become involved in we were soldiers once when an edited version of the movie was shown on television a few months ago. The scene that is previously mentioned showed 2nd lt. Customs services and international tracking provided. We hope everyone learns something and remembers these men and their moment when they acted without regard to. Medal of honor heroes meet diocesan students diocese of.