Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Vietnam Vet Dwight Birdwell
Episode 2433 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Dwight Birdwell and how he ended up being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Birdwell is another one of those tremendous representatives of the great Vietnam Veteran Generation, one as great as any that ever heeded the call of duty from their country. When the vast majority of those Veterans came home from Vietnam, they were older, wiser, stronger and better able to deal with adversity than their non-Vietnam Veteran contemporaries. Many continued to serve their country in a wide of variety of pursuits.
Birdwell is one of those who continued service to country in the field of the law. He showed his true colors in Vietnam during the first hours of the Tet Offensive in 1968 as a member of Troop C, 4th Cavalry, 25th Inf. Division.
His citation read as follows:
On 31 January 1968, when Birdwell’s unit raced to defend Tan Son Nhut Air Base, which was under attack during the Tet Offensive. Troop C was the first American ground unit from outside the airbase to respond to the attack. When Birdwell’s tank commander was seriously wounded, Birdwell took command and placed intense fire on the attacking People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces until his ammunition was expended. He then retrieved an M60 machine gun and continued firing at the PAVN until the weapon was damaged by PAVN fire, which also wounded Birdwell. With disregard for his own safety, he ran through a hail of PAVN fire to get more ammunition for his men from other damaged vehicles.
After his time in Vietnam, Birdwell graduated from the University of Oklahoma law school and became an attorney. He eventually rose to become the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Chief Justice.
Listen to episode 2433 and discover more about the powerful story of Vietnam Vet Dwight Birdwell and how he ended up being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
