- Born
- Died
- Birth nameBruce Perry Crandall
- Nicknames
- Snake
- Snakeshift
- Bruce P. Crandall was born on February 7, 1933 in Olympia, Washington, USA. He is known for We Were Soldiers (2002), Pritzker Military Library Presents (2006) and We Were Soldiers: Getting It Right (2002). He was married to Arlene Louise Shaffer. He died on May 31, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona, USA.
- SpouseArlene Louise Shaffer(March 31, 1956 - November 2, 2010) (her death, 3 children)
- Awarded the Medal of Honor on 26 February 2007 for his actions depicted in We Were Soldiers (2002).
- After retiring from the Army in 1977 as a Lieutenant Colonel, he worked several jobs in different states before settling down with his wife in his home state of Washington. They had three sons: Robert Donovan, Steven Bruce, and Michael David. As of 2011, Crandall lived in Washington State.
- Fought in the Vietnam War.
- Retired U.S. Army officer who belatedly received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in 1965 in 2007. He flew an unarmed helicopter 22 times through intense enemy fire to bring ammunition and supplies and evacuate the wounded during the battle. By the time he left the Vietnam War, he had flown over 900 combat missions.
- Received a Valorous Unit Award.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
