Ralph Joel Crutts★ Vietnam War Gold Star Veteran from Michigan
On May 18, 1969 Specialist Four Crutts was declared a casualty of the Vietnam War. ★ He served with honor in the United States Army. ★ He is remembered by the people of Michigan. ★ May his positive example inspire us. Working together towards peace, mutual respect, and equality for all.
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Our displayed data concerning the life and military history of Ralph Joel Crutts is a work in progress. We've assembled a list of elements we are in the process of researching and reviewing. This profile was last edited on 2016-01-02 18:42:26.
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Missing : Supplemental Data
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Service Details
| This Profile ID | 322377 |
| Service ID | 54987379 |
| Name | Ralph Joel Crutts |
| From | Owosso, Shiawassee County, Michigan |
| Birth Date | October 26, 1947 |
| Casualty Date | May 18, 1969 |
| War | Vietnam War |
| Service Branch | Army |
| Rank | Specialist Four |
| Specialty | Light Weapons Infantry |
| Unit/Group | 101st Airborne Division, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, C Company |
| Casualty Type | Hostile Died of Wounds, Gun Small Arms Fire, Ground Casualty |
| Location | South Vietnam, Thua Thien province, Dong Ap Bia Hamburger Hill 11-21 May 69 |
| Notable Awards |
★ Purple Heart |
| Remembered |  Ralph is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC. Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 24w, Line 38. |
Additional Details
The Battle of Hamburger Hill (Hill 937) was a ten day ordeal from May 10–20, 1969. Although the heavily fortified hill was of little strategic value, U.S. command ordered its capture, only to abandon it soon after.The battle was primarily a U.S. Airborne infantry engagement. Attacks were repeatedly repelled by the well-entrenched NVA defenses. Bad weather also hindered operations. Nevertheless, the Airborne troops took the hill through direct assault, causing extensive casualties to the NVA forces. In the end over 50 Americans were killed and nearly 400 wounded in addition to several helicopters shot down. The debate over Hamburger Hill reached the United States Congress, with severe criticism of military leadership and it is considered a watershed event of negative public opinion toward the Vietnam War. |
Commendations + Awards
Please note this might not be a complete or completely accurate accounting. For some awards we use probability factors based on known service details. Thanks for your understanding.
★ Purple Heart
★ Combat Infantryman Badge
★ Marksmanship Badge
★ Parachutist Badge
★ National Defense Service Medal
★ Vietnam Campaign Medal
★ Vietnam Service Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Vietnam Gallantry Cross
Notable Reference Sources
These are typically links to pages on external sites that have provided specific nodes of information. In most cases the information has some assurance of being crowd-sourced and vetted by a community of users.Michigan Gold Star Veterans Gallery
Honoring the men and women of Michigan who gave their all for their country. May their example of courage and sacrifice be our guide. To be strong and responsible in our lives as citizens of the world. 
Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
Michigan was home to over 19,848 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
Michigan was home to over 19,848 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
• 3,044 World War I
• 12,620 World War II
• 1,519 Korean War
• 2,665 Vietnam War
• 317 Prisoners of war
• 3,239 Missing in action
• 67 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 155 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 11 Medal of Honor recipients
• 12,620 World War II
• 1,519 Korean War
• 2,665 Vietnam War
• 317 Prisoners of war
• 3,239 Missing in action
• 67 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 155 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 11 Medal of Honor recipients
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▼ Primary Sources - These are repositories for artifacts, documents, diaries, manuscripts, and other information that serve as original and authoritative sources of information.
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Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Findagrave.com
Ancestry.com
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