- SURNAME
Bargewell
- FORENAME
Eldon A.
- UNIT
5 SF Group (MACV-SOG-CCN)
- RANK
Staff Sergeant
- NUMBER
- AWARD
Distinguished Service Cross
- PLACE
South Vietnam 1971
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
from Hoquiam,Washington
born Tacoma,Washington
graduated Hoquiam High School 1965
entered service 1967
SF training 1967
MACV-SOG-CCN (RT Michigan) 1969 (Sgt)
MACV-SOG-CCN 1971 (Staff Sgt)
WIA 4 times in Vietnam (7 times in career)
commissioned 2Lt 1973
2 Ranger Bn 1973-81
1 SFOD-D (Delta Force) 1981 (Major)
C.O. 1 SFOD-D (Delta Force) 1996-98 (Colonel)
Commander US Special Operations Command Europe 1998
US Special Operations Command (Director of Ops,Plans and Policies) 2001
Operations Officer for Multinational Force Iraq April 2005
retired July 2006 as Major General
died 04.2019
CITATION:
Distinguished Service Cross : The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Staff Sergeant Eldon A. Bargewell, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Command and Control (North), MACV Studies and Observations Group, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, attached to U.S. Army Vietnam Training Advisory Group (TF1AE), U.S. Army Vietnam Training Support Headquarters. Staff Sergeant Bargewell distinguished himself on 27 September 1971 while serving as a member of a long range reconnaissance team operating deep in enemy territory. On that date, his team came under attack by an estimated 75 to 100 man enemy force. Staff Sergeant Bargewell suffered multiple fragmentation wounds from an exploding B-40 rocket in the initial assault, but, despite the serious wounds, placed a deadly volume of machine gun fire on the enemy line. As the enemy advanced, he succeeded in breaking the assault and forced them to withdraw with numerous casualties. When the enemy regrouped, they resumed their assault on the beleaguered team, placing a heavy volume of small arms and automatic weapons fire on Staff Sergeant Bargewell's sector of the defensive perimeter. Again he exposed himself to the enemy fire in order to hold his position and prevent the enemy from overrunning the small team. At the extraction landing zone, Staff sergeant Bargewell refused medical treatment in order to defend a sector of the perimeter, and ensured the safe extraction of his team. Staff Sergeant Bargewell's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
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