CMSgt. Major Basil Plumley, RIP

A very storied life has come to an end.

You’ve seen him here, portrayed by Sam Elliot:

Plumley was a veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam (as many others were), but he is best known as the Battalion Sgt. Major for the 1-7th Calvary, 1st Calvary Division (Airmobile).  From the An Khe “golf course” (the layout of the helicopter pads looked to some, from the air, like a golf course) to the Ia Drang was a short hop, but it might have been 10,000 miles:

Prior to the battle at LZ X-Ray, Plumley had done a few other things, like making all four combat jumps made by the 82nd Airborne Division in WWII, and a combat jump in Korea.  I don’t know if there is any man in the Army, ever, who ever made more than that, but maybe.

He was married to the same woman for 63 years. She proceeded him in death by a few months.  Even at age 90, he was a barrel chested, impressive man.  I never met him, but he would cause men who hadn’t been in the Army for 30 years to snap to when he entered a room.

I think this is a much better documentary, below.  It doesn’t have the very prevalent negativity of the CBS report.  To me, that CBS video above shows how hostile the media was to the war, even as it was barely getting started.  And yet, they feigned otherwise, of course.  Anyway:

RIP, Command Sgt Major.