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We Were Soldiers

The passing of CSM Basil L. Plumley



The 2002 movie “We Were Soldiers” depicted US Army Command Sergeant Major Basil Plumley as a true warrior willingly accepting the call to battle. Played by actor Sam Elliot, CSM Plumley was Lt. Gen. Hal Moore’s right hand man. He and General Moore stayed life-long friends till CSM Plumley’s last breath which has been confirmed by Georgia’s Columbus Hospice at 0400hrs on October 10th 2012. For several weeks now, General Moore’s Facebook page has been keeping many abreast toward CSM Plumley’s health. According to General Moore’s page, “Old Iron Jaws,” as many of his troops often referred to the Command Sergeant Major, went into hospice care on October 1st.

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CSM Plumley was battling cancer—a battle he simply could not win. Yet, the American military legend loved a good fight. That was apparent simply through his military service. Born in 1920, in the small town of Shady Springs, WV, Basil Plumley entered the US military on March 31st, 1942. The US Army took him across the globe to places like Sicily, Korea, and of course Vietnam. The non-commissioned officer was a three time recipient of the US Army’s Combat Infantry Badge and his name remains on that prestigious placard resting inside the National Infantry Museum. He has fought in battles such as D-Day (World War II), the Battle of Porkchop Hill (Korea), and La Drang (Vietnam). Wearing his “Class A’s” Army uniform, you could see how heroic the man really was simply by the chest plate of military awards and ribbons he earned. Some of those comprise of the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart—27 awards and ribbons in all. While I never knew CSM Plumley personally, I am terribly saddened and feel like I lost a true mentor. He was such a heroi


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Kerry Patton -- Bio and Archives

Kerry Patton, a combat disabled veteran, is the author of ‘Sociocultural Intelligence: The New Discipline of Intelligence Studies’ and the children’s book ‘American Patriotism’.


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