For over two years, the men of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division engaged in near constant battle in the jungles of Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Since its deployment to Vietnam in early 1967, Bravo Company participated in 94 separate firefights, engaging in heavy combat in Pleiku and Kon Tum provinces. They took part in multiple significant campaigns, including Operation Sam Houston, Operation Francis Marion, and the 1968 Tet Offensive, according to an Army release.
On September 18, 2023, more than 50 years later, 14 soldiers from Bravo Company were formally awarded Bronze Star Medals during a ceremony held in Omaha, Nebraska. The ceremony was officiated by U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John W. Weidner, the chief of staff for U.S. Strategic Command, and Col. Robert Newbauer, the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Newbauer remarked, “These soldiers endured the worst of war. Their bravery and steadfast commitment to each other reflect the highest ideals of military service. It is an honor to stand with them as they receive long-overdue recognition.”
Known as the Ivy Division due to the Roman numeral IV, the men of the 4th Infantry Division were tasked with disrupting enemy infiltration routes feeding the Ho Chi Minh Trail in the Central Highlands, an area that quickly became a hotbed of enemy activity. Lt. Gen. Stanley Larsen, the former commander of I Field Forces responsible for the Highlands, once cautioned, “If you ever let him get set, you’re going to pay hell getting him out.” Larson had recommended “spoiling operations” to keep North Vietnamese forces off balance, a strategy the men of the 4th Infantry effectively executed.
By 1969, Bravo Company had received a Presidential Unit Citation, claiming they “decisively denied the enemy freedom of movement along the western highlands border.” However, the actions of these soldiers went underrecognized for decades due to practices at the time, where junior enlisted soldiers received the Army Commendation Medal while officers, even those on the same mission, received a Bronze Star.
The Bronze Star Medal was championed by General George C. Marshall during World War II, who wrote in a memorandum to President Roosevelt on February 3, 1944, about the importance of maintaining morale among ground troops, especially infantry. Roosevelt subsequently authorized the Bronze Star Medal by Executive Order 9419 the next day.
During the September 18 ceremony, five veterans were awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor device for heroism in combat. These were: 1st Lt. John E. Shaeffer, Sgt. Don J. Cantacessi, and Specialists Ronald Coleman, Roy F. Pline, and Stephen Wittenberg. Each citation recounted moments when soldiers rushed into fire to aid comrades, provided critical leadership under pressure, or exposed themselves to danger to ensure others’ survival.
The remaining nine soldiers received Bronze Star Medals for meritorious service, upgrading previous Army Commendation Medals. Among those honored were Spc. Arturo G. Cuellar, Spc. Charles P. Emery, Sgt. George A. Jones, Sgt. Dale G. Liefer, Sgt. Thomas P. Saumur, Spc. Marvin S. Weis, Spc. Ronald A. Wulff, and Spc. Clarence Kirshner, a combat medic. These awards acknowledged the daily challenges faced by squad leaders, riflemen, and fire team leaders who, as Marshall observed, “lead miserable lives of extreme discomfort” while navigating some of the toughest fighting during the Vietnam War.
Claire Barrett, the author of this report, serves as the Strategic Operations Editor for Sightline Media and is also a World War II researcher with a strong passion for Sir Winston Churchill and Michigan football.
