COL CHARLES L. BRINDEL was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for exceptionally valorous actions in Vietnam on 31 January 1968. At that time, he was a lieutenant colonel serving with Advisory Team 100, U.S. Army Advisory Group. During the Tet offensive against Saigon, he was notified that a military police patrol had suffered heavy casualties in a Viet Cong ambush and the dead and wounded could not be extracted. He immediately secured two commando cars and moved to the site to rescue the stricken troops. Upon arrival, he found the casualties were trapped in an alley by withering enemy rocket and automatic weapons fire, and he organized a four-man team to make the evacuation attempt. Using one of the commando cars, Colonel Brindel’s party braved the savage fusillade to maneuver down the alleyway and recover to badly wounded men. Colonel Brindel decided to reenter the alley, recover more wounded and the bodies of the dead, and at the same time direct a sweep against the well entrenched hostile forces. Disregarding his personal safety, he elected to lead the sweeping element. The Viet Cong increased the intensity of their barrage as he directed his hastily organized force through a curtain of fire which immediately downed three of his men. Despite bullets striking all around him, Colonel Brindel continued to expose himself to the enemy weapons and repeatedly carried casualties out of the alley as he skillfully commanded the fires of the sweeping force on the insurgent’s positions. He then called for and directed devastating helicopter gunship strafing runs on the determined attackers, forcing them to withdraw. Colonel Brindel’s extraordinary extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.

LTC Brindel resides in North Carolina.