Bruce A. Grandstaff’s Silver Star citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant First Class Bruce Alan Grandstaff (ASN: RA-56240242), United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force while serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, in the Republic of Vietnam. Sergeant First Class Grandstaff distinguished himself by exceptionally heroic actions on 22 March 1967, when his unit was attacked by a large force of North Vietnamese Army Regulars. When his platoon became separated from the rest of the unit and pinned down by enemy machine-gun fire, Sergeant First Class Grandstaff moved through the rain of hostile fire to rally his men and position them in a defensive formation. He delivered an extremely telling volume of fire into the enemy positions, neutralizing a number of them. Then, ordering his men to move to rejoin the main unit, Sergeant First Class Grandstaff remained behind and used his weapon to lay down a deadly sheet of covering fire. Seeing one of his men wounded and lying in the open, he ran to the man’s aid, all the while maintaining his devastating fire, and began carrying him to safety. Several times, Sergeant First Class Grandstaff was temporarily pinned down by heavy fire as the enemy tried to thwart his rescue attempt, but he doggedly moved onward until he finally reached the relative security of the perimeter. His unmitigated courage and spirit of absolute determination heartened his men, eliciting their best efforts throughout the arduous battle. Sergeant First Class Grandstaff’s extraordinary heroism in close combat against a numerically superior force is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.