Rank: Staff Sergeant
Unit: E Troop, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 11D – Armor Reconnaissance Specialist
Awards: Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Badges: Combat Infantryman Badge
Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Note: CH-47, Passenger
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 8-Jul-1946
Hometown: Laurel, Mississippi
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 8-May-1964
Start of tour: 4-Sep-1969
Incident date: 3-Nov-1969
Date of casualty: 3-Nov-1969
Age at death: 23
Cause of death: Non-hostile, died of other causes. Helicopter Crash — Passenger (MC). Aircraft loss, crash not at sea.
James Elson Buchanan was killed while a passenger on a military aircraft on a military mission when the aircraft landed and the rear rotor blade struck a tree causing a portion of the blade to pass through the aircraft striking him. The aircraft did not crash or burn. / Passenger on CH-47 aircraft on resupply mission. Aircraft landed and rear rotor blade struck a tree. A portion of the rotor blade passed through the aircraft striking individual. Aircraft did not crass or burn.
Location of fatality: Binh Long, South Vietnam, XU 774 170
Place of interment: Clark Cemetery, Laurel, Mississippi, USA
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SILVER STAR
POSTHUMOUS
SPECIALIST FOUR JAMES ELSON BUCHANAN
12 SEPTEMBER 1968
E TROOP, 2nd SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Specialist Four Buchanan distinguished himself for gallantry in action involving conflict with an armed hostile force on 12 September 1968 while serving as a vehicle commander with Troop E, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date, Specialist Buchanan’s troop was given the mission of relieving Company A of the 1st Infantry Division which was held up by an estimated North Vietnamese Battalion. During the move over 2,000 meters of enemy-infested terrain, Specialist Buchanan’s vehicle was under constant hostile automatic weapons and anti-tank fire. Foiling every attempt the enemy made to halt him, Specialist Buchanan, although receiving multiple fragmentation wounds from an exploding anti-tank rocket, continued to press forward until he was wounded by small arms fire. Showing no regard for his own personal safety, Specialist Buchanan then exchanged positions with one of his scout observers and as a medic attended his wounds, he continued to direct highly-accurate suppressive fire into the hostile positions. Although suffering from numerous painful wounds, Specialist Buchanan contributed to the successful accomplishment of his unit’s mission, enabling other elements of his unit to relieve the beleaguered infantry company, thus saving many American lives. Specialist Four Buchanan’s unwavering devotion to duty, personal courage and disregard of personal safety while under intense hostile fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
Headquarters, II Field Force Vietnam, General Orders No. 1635 (November 7, 1968)