Rank: First Lieutenant
Unit: 919th Engineer Company, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 1331 – Combat Engineer Unit Commander
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: Reserve
Date of birth: 15-Mar-1944
Hometown: High Point, North Carolina
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Start of tour: 12-Jun-1969
Incident date: 9-Jul-1969
Date of casualty: 22-Jul-1969
Age at death: 25
Cause of death: Hostile, died of wounds. Artillery/Mortar/Rocket. Artillery, rocket, or mortar.
Carl Douglas Shirley died from wounds received while a passenger on a military vehicle on a combat operation when a hostile force was encountered. He was admitted to a military medical facility, placed on the Very Serious Injury (VSI) list, and later expired. / Passenger on Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) on combat operation. Engaged hostile force in firefight. Individual admitted to 24th Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh, on 9 Jul 1969 at 1155 hrs, placed on Very Serious Injury (VSI) on 9 Jul 1969 at 1745 hrs and later expired. Incident occurred on 9 Jul 1969 at 1015 hrs.
Five Blackhorse troopers died as a result of this incident:
SGT Thomas Jackson Barnes Jr
SP4 Earl Lloyd Cook
SP5 John Bruce Cornwell
SGT Jimmie Charles Scrogum
1LT Carl Douglas Shirley
Location of fatality: Binh Long, South Vietnam, XT 738 930
Place of interment: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, USA
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BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS
FIRST LIEUTENANT CARL DOUGLAS SHIRLEY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS
9 JULY 1969
919TH ENGINEER COMPANY (ARMORED)
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
First Lieutenant Shirley distinguished himself by heroism in connection with ground operations against a hostile force on 9 July 1969 while serving as a platoon leader with the 919th Engineer Company (Armored), 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date while his platoon was providing rear security for a convoy, the friendly vehicles came under intense automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade fire from a large, well-concealed enemy force. Disregarding his own safety, Lieutenant Shirley quickly moved his assault vehicle into an exposed position in order to effectively engage the enemy gunners. As a result of his skillful and decisive leadership, his men succeeded in delivering prompt and accurate retaliatory fire, thus minimizing friendly casualties. While he was placing suppressive fire on the hostile positions and directing his platoon’s defense, he was mortally wounded by an exploding rocket-propelled grenade. First Lieutenant Shirley’s courage and devotion to duty 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. 2068 (18 August 1969)