Rank: Private First Class
Unit: G Troop, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 63C – General Vehicle Repairman
Awards: Silver Star, 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: 3-Mar-1947
Hometown: Putnam, Georgia
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 26-Apr-1966
Start of tour: 9-Jul-1966
Incident date: 24-Sep-1967
Date of casualty: 24-Sep-1967
Age at death: 20
Cause of death: Hostile, died. Small Arms Fire. Gun or small arms fire.
Erral Dale Smallwood died as result of gunshot wound received when engaged hostile forces in firefight while on combat operation.
Three Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
PFC Lawrence Bernard Crawford
PFC Erral Dale Smallwood
SP4 Joe Minor Thomas
Location of fatality: Quang Nam, South Vietnam
Place of interment: Fortville Cemetery, Fortville, Georgia, USA
View this soldier‘s Find a Grave page (opens in a new window)
SILVER STAR
POSTHUMOUS
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ERRAL DALE SMALLWOOD
24 SEPTEMBER 1967
G TROOP, 2nd SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Private First Class Smallwood distinguished himself by gallantry in action against a hostile force while serving with Troop G, 2d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in action on 24 September 1967 near Tam Ky, Republic of Vietnam. Private First Class Smallwood distinguished himself by extremely valorous action while engaging a heavily equipped North Vietnamese Army Company in well dug in positions. Private Smallwood was driving an assault vehicle when he noticed an enemy soldier aiming an antitank weapon at another vehicle. Realizing he had no time to war the crew, he drove his vehicle through intense fire toward the enemy’s position. Then fearlessly exposing himself, he destroyed the enemy bunker with hand grenades just before being fatally wounded. Private Smallwood’s heroism and quick thinking not only saved the crew of an assault vehicle, but resulted in the destruction of an enemy antitank crew and the capture of their weapon. Private First Class Smallwood’s gallantry in action and devotion to duty while engaged in close combat 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, Americal Division General Orders No. 1145 (6 November 1967)