The Vietnam War was a challenging time for servicemembers. As one of the most difficult wars that America has ever been involved in, servicemembers were challenged in battle and when they returned home. For Charles Kettles, the whole experience was just part of his duty to his country. Kettles served as a commander of the 176th Assault Helicopter Company's first platoon.
According to Mlive.com, he was given a mission to rescue a group of soldiers who were trapped by the North Vietnamese army. Kettles' actions on May 15, 1967 saved many of his fellow servicemembers' lives. The military recently decided to give Kettles the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism.
"This decision was made because of Kettles's heroism in Vietnam which resulted in saving many lives," Alvin Rudisill, president of the Ypsilanti Historical Society, told Mlive.com. "There are many witness statements in the documentary notebook in the display from individuals whose lives were saved because of actions taken by Kettles during the Vietnam War."
It has been 48 years since Kettles saved the lives of those men, but the ones who spoke to the news source said they were still as grateful as they were the day of the event. Many told Mlive.com that they knew they would not be alive today if it was not for Kettles.