Our Arklahoma Heritage: Dwight W. Birdwell-A Cherokee Purple Heart winner was raised in Adair County
- Dennis McCaslin
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Dwight Wayne Birdwell, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, was born on January 19, 1948, in Amarillo, Texas, but grew up in the small rural community of Bell in Adair County
He attended local schools and graduated from Stilwell High School in 1966. Inspired by Cherokee veterans from previous wars, Birdwell enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after graduation, on May 24, 1966, feeling a duty to continue his nation's long tradition of military service.
Birdwell served as a Specialist Five in Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. His most notable actions took place on January 31, 1968, during the opening hours of the Tet Offensive, a massive coordinated attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces
.His unit was among the first to respond to an assault on Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon. As their armored column approached, it came under intense ambush from a much larger enemy force. The lead tank was hit and disabled by a rocket-propelled grenade, blocking the path and exposing the troops to heavy fire from both sides.
Birdwell's tank commander was severely wounded early in the fight. Birdwell immediately pulled him to safety, then climbed into the commander's position—fully exposed above the hatch—and took control of the tank. He directed accurate fire from the 90mm main gun and .50-caliber machine gun, suppressing enemy positions until ammunition was depleted.
When the machine gun overheated, he switched to his M-16 rifle, continuing to engage the enemy from the open hatch. Spotting a downed U.S. helicopter, he dismounted and ran through heavy fire to retrieve two M-60 machine guns and ammunition. He distributed one to a fellow soldier and remounted his tank to resume firing.An enemy round soon struck his M-60, causing it to explode and wounding Birdwell in the face, neck, chest, and arms.
Despite his injuries, he refused medical evacuation. He gathered ammunition from damaged vehicles, rallied his comrades, redistributed supplies, and led a counterattack with hand grenades, helping to break the enemy assault and allow reinforcements to secure the area.
Later, on July 4, 1968, Birdwell earned a second Silver Star for repeatedly exposing himself to fire to rescue wounded soldiers from an enemy-held village.
He served until December 1968, earning two Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars (one later upgraded), and a Bronze Star Initially awarded a Silver Star for his January 31 actions, the decoration was upgraded after decades of review.
On July 5, 2022, President Joe Biden presented Birdwell with the Medal of Honor at the White House, making him the only Cherokee Nation citizen from the Vietnam era to receive it—and one of only five Cherokees overall.The citation praises his "extraordinary heroism and selflessness," noting how his leadership turned the tide against overwhelming odds and saved numerous lives.
Birdwell has often said the honor belongs to his unit and the Cherokee warriors who inspired him, emphasizing that he was "just doing my job."Life
After the war, Birdwell earned a law degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1976 and built a career as an attorney in Oklahoma City. He served on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court from 1987 to 1999, including terms as Chief Justice
Recent honors include his addition to a Medal of Honor memorial in Lubbock, Texas (March 2025), and a dedicated exhibit at the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee (unveiled August 2025), which highlights his Cherokee heritage and Vietnam service.
At 77, Birdwell continues to share his story, underscoring the high per-capita service of Native Americans in the U.S. military and the values of courage and duty rooted in his Adair County upbringing.
