Basil Leonard Plumley (January 1, 1920 – October 10, 2012) was an American soldier who served in the United States Army for over three decades, rising to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. As a combat veteran of World War II and the Vietnam War, he is most noted for his actions during the Battle of Ia Drang in Vietnam.
Plumley was born on January 1, 1920, in Shady Spring, West Virginia, the son of coal miner Clay H. Plumley and his wife Georgia B. Morton. After two years of high-school, he worked as a chauffeur before enlisting in the US Army on March 31, 1942.[citation needed]
Plumley enlisted in the United States Army as a Private on March 31, 1942. He was a gliderman of the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division. He saw action during the Invasion of Normandy and Operation Market Garden.
Plumley participated in two glider assaults in the European Theater. His first was on June 6, 1944, during the Invasion of Normandy, and his second was for Operation Market Garden on Sept. 18, 1944. Plumley was shot in the hand the same day for which he received the Purple Heart and was awarded multiple decorations for his service in World War II.
During the Korean War, Plumley fought as the member of 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment.
He fought in Vietnam with the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment. He participated in the Battle of Ia Drang in Vietnam in 1965, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore, who praised Plumley as an outstanding NCO and leader in the 1992 book about this battle, We Were Soldiers Once… and Young. The book was the basis for the 2002 film We Were Soldiers, in which Plumley was played by actor Sam Elliott. Plumley was known affectionately by his soldiers as "Old Iron Jaw". Command Sergeant Major Basil Plumley served in the Republic of Korea between 1952 and 1953.
He retired as a Command Sergeant Major on December 31, 1974, having been awarded 28 different personal, unit, campaign and service awards and decorations in almost 33 years of military service, spanning World War II and the Vietnam War. After his retirement, he worked 15 more years for the army as a civilian in administration at Martin Army Community Hospital and at various medical clinics around Fort Benning, Georgia, retiring again in 1990.[1]
In 1949, Plumley married Deurice Dillon. They were together for 63 years before Deurice died 2012. Plumley died of cancer in Columbus, Georgia, on October 10, 2012.[2][3] He is survived by a daughter, a granddaughter, and two great-grandchildren.[4]
Plumley was a prominent and central figure in the 1992 book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young by Lt. Gen Hal Moore and Joseph L. Galloway about the Battle of Ia Drang and was portrayed by actor Sam Elliott in the 2002 film adaption.
There have been disputes about the medals and decorations Plumley was entitled to wear. Brian Siddall, an independent researcher, alleged in 2015 that Plumley wore unauthorized combat and valor awards that exaggerated his wartime achievements.[5][6][7] The U.S. Army has stated that there is no evidence of a substantial error in the recording of Plumley's decorations and has noted that the personnel records of the army are commonly in error, especially during war time and prior to digital filing.
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