Rank: Specialist 4
Unit: 919th Engineer Company, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 12B – Combat Engineer
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 11-Mar-1948
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 10-Jul-1968
Start of tour: 11-Dec-1968
Incident date: 12-May-1969
Date of casualty: 12-May-1969
Age at death: 21
Cause of death: Hostile, Died. Small Arms Fire. Gun or small arms fire.
Charles Cecil Case was killed while driver of a military vehicle at a defensive position when attacked by a hostile force. / Driver of armored personnel carrier (APC) on perimeter defense. Area came under hostile satchel charge attack.
Location of fatality: Binh Long, South Vietnam, XT 823 905
Place of interment: Highland Cemetery, Bayard, Iowa, USA
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BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS
SERGEANT CHARLES CECIL CASE
12 MAY 1969
919TH ENGINEER COMPANY
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Sergeant Case distinguished himself by heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force on 12 May 1969 while serving as driver of an armored cavalry assault vehicle with the 919th Engineer Company (Armored), 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date North Vietnamese sapper and rocket-propelled grenade teams conducted a mortar and rocket attack followed by a subsequent ground attack against Quan Loi base camp and quickly penetrated the perimeter defense in several places. Mounting his armored cavalry assault vehicle, Sergeant Case moved online with a bunker that had previously been destroyed by enemy fire. Immediately he began placing deadly suppressive fire on the enemy and quickly closed the breach created by the initial attack. Though most of the hostile soldiers in the area fled in the face of his devastating fire, one remained hidden. A satchel charge that he threw inside the vehicle mortally wounded Sergeant Case. Nevertheless, before his gallant defense was ended, he killed at least one of the enemy, wounded several others and forced the retreating. hostile troops to abandon two rifles, a grenade launcher, and a large supply of ammunition, hand grenades, and satchel charges. Sergeant Case’s outstanding courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
Headquarters, II Field Force Vietnam General Orders No. 1466 (13 June 1969)