Posted on 10/11/2012 5:21:21 AM PDT by Doogle
COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) — Basil L. Plumley, a renowned career soldier whose exploits as an Army infantryman were portrayed in a book and the movie ‘‘We Were Soldiers,’’ has died at 92 — an age his friends are amazed that he lived to see.
Plumley fought in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam and was awarded a medal for making five parachute jumps into combat. The retired command sergeant major died Wednesday.
Friends said Plumley, who died in hospice care in west Georgia, never told war stories and was known to hang up on people who called to interview him. Still, he was near-legendary in the Army and gained more widespread fame through a 1992 Vietnam War book that was the basis for the 2002 movie starring Mel Gibson. Actor Sam Elliott played Plumley in the film.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
he fought in the Allied invasion of Italy at Salerno and the D-Day invasion at Normandy. He later fought with the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment in Korea. In Vietnam, Plumley served as sergeant major
There is no “medal” for making five combat jumps. You do get to wear special airborne wings though.
You get a “mustard stain” star for every combat jump! The more stars, the more jumps. At four jumps, one of the stars gets bug to signify four jumps or it would get too crowded.
What great lines he had in the movie! I justed LOVED it when he told the 2nd Lt., “How would you know what kind go GD day it is?”. Who could ever forget, “When the time comes that I need a rifle there will be plenty on the ground.”. There were. America don’t make many like this. They are there when we need them, thank God.
RIP, Sarnt Major.
The radio man used to post here as aloha larry.The site of
LZX-Ray has stills and some old 8mm of the unit. I remember seeing a picture of him on the road around Pleiku AFB that
we used to take to our radar unit every day.
WW II,Korea *and* Vietnam? Good God,talk about “The Greatest Generation”! RIP,Sergeant Major.
not very many of those types left...
Hand Salute........................two
ping
If you have the DVD of the movie “We Were Soldiers”, you must watch the deleted scene with Lt’s talking about Plumley’s boss - probably the best scene ever!
Thank you for your long time service CSM Plumley.
I don't really recall this line from the book (so it may have been an invention) but it did seem true to form. In reply to Col. Moore's concern that he had led his Seventh Cavalry into the same kind of disaster as his famous predecessor, Sgt. Plumley replied "Custer was a pussy. You ain't."
Bump for ALOHA RONNIE
Thanks-I had the wrong name.
RIP, Rakkasan.
Prayers up... RIP
...sometimes some survive because they are needed to help others survive...sometimes we forget to watch,learn,and listen.......all to often, we forget.
Lest we forget...
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