RIP General Eldon Bargewell

We lost a good one on 29 April 2019 when Major General Eldon Baregwell crossed over. Bargewell born 13 August 1947 enlisted in the Army in 1967 and attended the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1968. Deployed to Vietnam Bargewell was accepted into MACV-SOG where he served in CCN (Command and Control North) at Da Nang and served as the Team Leader (one zero) for Recon Team (RT) Viper.

During duty in Vietnam with CCN, Bargewell was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) in September 1971 for his actions in combat his saving his team (read citation below). Bargewell received his officer's commission in 1973 then was assigned to the 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington where he served as rifle platoon leader and executive officer. Promoted to Captain, he was assigned as Rifle Company Commander with 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry.

In 1981 Bargewell volunteered for and completed a specialized selection course for assignment to SFOD-D (Delta Force) where he would serve as Operations Officer, Squadron Executive Officer, Troop commander, Squadron Commander (twice), Deputy Commander and Unit Commander from July 1996 to July 1998.

While serving in Delta Force Bargewell participated in Operation Acid Gambit during the invasion of Panama, including the rescue of American citizen Curt Muse from the Modelo prison and he commanded an SFOD-D Squadron during Operation Desert Storm in western Iraq. In 1998 Bargewell became Commanding General of Special Operations Command Europe (SOC-EUR) followed by assistant chief of staff for SFOR military operations in Sarajevo. Later he was assigned as Director of Operations, Plans, and Policies of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and lastly Bargwell later served as the Director of Strategic Operations at Multinational Force Iraq. He will be missed.

Distinguished Service Cross citation from Vietnam

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), Task Force 1, 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. After breaking the enemy assault, the team withdrew (to a area suitable for a helicopter landing zone). At the landing zone, Staff Sergeant Bargewell refused medical treatment in order to defend a sector of the perimeter, and insured 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.