The wounded soldier was in a makeshift stretcher, crafted from tree limbs and a poncho, and the ground party had put him, stretcher and all, into the litter. Airman Pitsenbarger exposed himself to almost certain death by staying on the ground, and perished while saving the lives of wounded infantrymen. As a PJ, he was both a medic and a survival specialist. After the chopper took off, I headed back into the jungle to help some more wounded. “I was the pararescueman on the first chopper. Bachman’s crew took another soldier aboard, and the two helicopters took the wounded to an Army hospital at Binh Ba, eight miles to the south. William "Pits" Pitsenbarger flew in helicopter rescue missions to treat and evacuate wounded soldiers and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his selfless actions near Cam My, Vietnam in 1966. The US 1st Infantry Division was pushing through the dense jungle east of Saigon in search of the Viet Cong battalion known as D-800. He was the first enlisted member to be awarded the Air Force Cross. I took my last glimpse of Pits as Hammond swung him out of the cabin. He had applied to Arizona State, where he hoped to study to become a nurse. That award is the military's second-highest for service members, and the highest award the Air Force can bestow. Three rifle companies–Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie–of the 2nd Battalion of the 16th Infantry Regiment were conducting the search near the village of Cam My. In September 1966, Pitsenbarger’s Air Force Cross, awarded posthumously, was presented to his parents by Gen. John P. McConnell, Air Force Chief of Staff. His Medal of Honor citation reads: Pedro 73 was out of commission. The Airmen Memorial Museum in Suitland, Md., has catalogued almost two dozen memorials, buildings, streets, and awards named for him. It performed that role at Bien Hoa, but it had also been adapted for jungle rescue. He pointed in the direction of Bill’s body. I’m sure they were surprised to see someone come down into their hellhole. Every year, Congress and the military debate which combat assets should head to the boneyard and which have more life left in them. “We were getting pounded so bad that I could only lie on the ground for cover. I have a feeling the rest of the crew said a prayer for him, too. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It took tremendous courage to expose himself to the possibility of an almost certain death in order to save the life of someone he didn’t even know.”. It took 34 years to get A1C William H. Pitsenbarger’s Air Force Cross upgraded to a Medal of Honor— one of only a few ever bestowed upon an enlisted airman. Air Force Magazine is the official publication of the Air Force Association, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. “Hammond spotted Pits,” Salem said. Pitsenbarger became the 59th Air Force Medal of Honor recipient and the sixth enlisted recipient. ; On Dec. 8, 2000, the AFC was upgraded to a Medal of Honor. He planned to leave the Air Force when his hitch was up. In the late afternoon of April 11, the VC battalion intensified the attack with mortars and machine guns. Additionally, Pitsenbarger was posthumously promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. The nearest clearing where the Army could land a Huey medevac helicopter was four miles away, so as the casualties began to mount, a call went to Det. He was holding his medical kit, his M-16 rifle, and an armful of splints. We honor his service. Pierson, a U.S. Air Force search and rescue Vietnam veteran has a small role as a bagpipe player in the upcoming film, “the Last Full Measure,” a movie based on the true story of U.S. Air Force Pararescueman William H. Pitsenbarger, who helped save as many as 60 men during the … The VC mounted three massive assaults against the perimeter that evening and Charlie Company survived the night only by calling in artillery almost on top of itself. During the night, word came that Pitsenbarger and more Army casualties had been moved to an area where a landing zone would be cleared the next morning and that Army helicopters would bring them out at first light. He hovered below treetop level. That award is the military's second-highest for service members, and the highest award the Air Force can bestow. Capt. 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, at Bien Hoa, 20 miles northeast of Saigon. Salem thought about it, discussed it with the crew, and decided that Pitsenbarger was right. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. He had been through Army jump school at Ft. Benning, Ga., and qualified by the Navy as a scuba diver. Pitsenbarger was 21 years old at the time of his death and was an Airman 1st Class. Beneath that, thick brush grew from the ground to about 30 feet up, but there was a hole in the canopy just large enough for a Stokes litter-essentially a wire basket-to get through. Without any hesitation, Pits elected to stay on the ground with the wounded.”. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. It took several years, but Pitsenbarger’s Air Force Cross was eventually upgraded. The detachment commander, Maj. Maurice Kessler, was flying as copilot. He had seen combat in both World War II and Korea. Copyright 2020. “There’s about a million VC in the area,” he said. Hal Salem, the helicopter pilot, and retired Maj. Gen. Allison C. Brooks, former commander of the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service, made a new nomination of Pitsenbarger for the Medal of Honor, satisfying the second requirement. Pitsenbarger had five oak leaf clusters to his Air Medal, each representing 25 flights over hostile territory, and more clusters were pending. By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies. That legacy lives on in the new feature film, “The Last Full Measure,” which tells the story of the U.S. Air Force Pararescueman awarded the country’s highest military honor, the medal of honor, 34 years after his supreme sacrifice. He courageously resisted the enemy, braving intense gunfire to gather and distribute vital ammunition to American defenders. By mid-afternoon, D-800 had Charlie Company isolated and encircled. Pitsenbarger was 21 years old. The Air Force Association offers scholarships to Air Force enlisted personnel under its Pitsenbarger Award program Piqua—also home to Hartzell Propeller—was to be treated to three premiere showings of the movie about its hometown hero one day ahead of its general release, according to the Dayton Daily News , and the city declared the week of January 20 to 26 as William H. Pitsenbarger … The Army was reporting at least six casualties. In that configuration, it carried two pilots, a crew chief, and a PJ, plus the forest penetrator, a litter, a stretcher, and medical kits. Pitsenbarger was sending them up both in the litter and on the forest penetrator. Hal Salem. The opening was so tight that the whirling helicopter blades passed within five feet of the trees. Airman First Class Pitsenbarger distinguished himself by extreme valor on 11 April 1966 near Cam My, Republic of Vietnam, while assigned as a Pararescue Crew Member, Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. His bravery and determination exemplify the highest professional standards and traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Air Force. Hammond hooked it up and began lowering to Pits. Hammond hoisted the penetrator back up and sent a Stokes litter down to Pits.”. Two B-52s took off from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., en…, The U.S. military will withdraw the “majority” of its personnel and assets from Somalia by early 2021, the Pentagon announced without providing specifics. Early that afternoon, Charlie Company flushed a Viet Cong platoon, killed several VC, and pursued the others deeper into the jungle. He and Joe Lineberger, director of the Air Force Review Boards Agency, put their full weight behind the effort. A1C William H. Pitsenbarger was in the alert trailer when the call came in. With complete disregard for personal safety, Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to ride a hoist more than one hundred feet through the jungle, to the ground. With Pits on the ground, the helicopters took turns extracting wounded soldiers from the jungle. Pedro 97 lowered its litter, picked up the first casualty, then pulled back to transfer him from the Stokes litter to a folding litter. The Americans knew from intelligence reports that D-800 was a first-line battalion with 400 troops and a backup force of women and children. Beside Pitsenbarger in the rear seats was A1C Gerald Hammond, the crew chief. Hammond removed some panels in the roof of the cabin and used a hammer to beat the fuel controls closed. I said a silent prayer for him. Former Navy SEAL Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) earlier this year floated the idea of calling Space Force personnel admirals or…, On Dec. 8 at 9:30 a.m. EST, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host USAF Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Lt. Gen. Joseph T. Guastella for a discussion about how the service is maintaining aircraft and pilot readiness, the development of the Advanced Battle Management…, As the final days of 2020 count down, House and Senate negotiators have agreed on sweeping defense policy legislation that offers nearly $732 billion to the armed forces in fiscal 2021. I set about helping the wounded and evacuating them on the chopper. Again, our main concern was to try some way to get Pits on board. Bachman in the lead helicopter was told by ground control that the area was under such intensive attack that no more extractions could be attempted. On that date, Airman Pitsenbarger was aboard a rescue helicopter responding to a call for evacuation of casualties incurred in an ongoing firefight between elements of the United States Army's 1st Infantry Division and a sizeable enemy force approximately 35 miles east of Saigon. is not withdrawing or disengaging from Africa. If confirmed by the Senate, Aquilino—who has led U.S. Pacific Fleet since May 2018—will replace Admiral Philip S. Davidson. “I maneuvered the helicopter into the pickup hole as Hammond strapped Pits onto the penetrator and disconnected his mike cord. The helicopter had taken nine hits and both sets of rotor blades were ruined. I was able to keep the helicopter fairly steady now, using full right rudder. As Pedro 73 maneuvered up and out of the pickup hole, the litter got hopelessly snagged in the trees and had to be cut loose. 3,526. After the artillery barrage, about 9 p.m., there was no further fire from the VC. The rotor blades were out of track, and badly so. medal of honor recipients Note to users: To search this list for a specific name, hit both "Ctrl" and "F" on your keyboard. Despite his wounds, he valiantly fought on, simultaneously treating as many wounded as possible. For ignoring his own safety and remaining behind to treat and evacuate as many wounded as possible, Pitsenbarger was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, which was later upgraded to … Search-and-rescue missions did not happen every day, but when they did, the choppers often flew multiple sorties, searching the jungles or shuttling between battle zones, bases, and field hospitals. Several of them had been firing their weapons on full automatic and were running short of ammunition. “At times the small-arms fire would be so intense it was deafening and all a person could do was get as close to the ground as possible and pray. Pitsenbarger told him they were going to help an Army company in trouble. Total Medals of Honor Awarded. “I first saw Airman Pitsenbarger when he was being lowered from an Air Force helicopter sent to medevac our wounded,” Kroah said. We could hear enemy fire down below, but Pits was ignoring it and kept motioning for us to continue lowering the Stokes litter.”. He was the first Air Force enlisted man to be presented the second highest military award. The film, “The Last Full Measure,” is in theaters nationwide on Jan. 24.The film is based on the true story of Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Air Force A1C William Pitsenbarger, who was killed in action on April 11, 1966.The dramatization follows his heroism, the men who were saved by his actions and the decades-long effort to posthumously award him the Medal of Honor. In March 1966, Pitsenbarger had descended from a helicopter into a burning minefield to rescue a Vietnamese solider who had stepped on a land mine. In 1998, the Air Force Sergeants Association took up the cause. But the story of William Pitsenbarger would not die. He was killed shortly thereafter.”. He liked country music, loved to hear Roy Acuff sing ‘The Wabash Cannonball,’ liked a beer, had a healthy interest in girls. U.S. Air Force Airmen First Class - William H. Pitsenbarger was posthumously presented the Medal of Honor for military valor during the Vietnam War. Technology that might help—including a digital “license plate” for satellites—was showcased in the latest competition hosted by the Space Force Accelerator Program. “He just did extraordinary things when called upon to do so. Snipers in the trees shot soldiers in the back as they lay prone in the firing position. After decades of requests for upgrade by surviving Soldiers and Airmen, the Medal of Honor was presented to his family on December 8, 2000. Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters, who had heard about the case from Pitsenbarger supporters, took a personal interest. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. “Once I’m down there I can really help out,” he told Salem. My own platoon medic, who was later killed, was totally ineffective. On Dec. 8, 2000, the Medal of Honor was presented posthumously to A1C William H. Pitsenbarger in a ceremony at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, not far from his hometown of Piqua. MEDAL BY NUMBERS Click numbers to see those recipients. I removed Bill’s gear and took the body back to the evacuating area.”. Shortly thereafter, the area came under sniper and mortar fire. “At some point, the helicopter began taking heavy enemy fire. Still, in the June 26, 2000 issue of the trade journal Air Force Times, I wrote that Pitsenbarger, since posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, should receive the Medal of Honor. The mismatch was of little concern, since the soldiers expected to be reinforced if they encountered the enemy in strength. 2,457. The Air Force’s HH-43 helicopters could lower a hoist to the jungle floor. He was initially posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor. For more than 30 years, his memory has remained vibrantly alive. The pickup took far too long to complete, with the helicopter hovering there as a provocative target for ground fire. The government of South Vietnam awarded him Vietnam's Medal of Military Merit and the Gallantry Cross with Bronze Palm. “My immediate concern was to keep the chopper flying and not hit any trees that were just a few feet away from the tips of the rotor blades,” Salem said. The litter snagged repeatedly on the way up, and the stretcher could not be brought all the way into the helicopter. “Pits had a big grin on his face. During his movement around our perimeter, he would scramble past me and deliver a handful of magazines.”, “After I was wounded, sometime around 6 p.m., Pitsenbarger came by the tree where I and several other wounded and dead soldiers [were],” said Daniel Kirby, who was an infantryman in Company C. “He looked at my wound, stated that it was not overly serious, and said something to the effect of, ‘Don’t give up; we can get out of this mess.’ He then left and that was the last time I remember seeing him.”. “We had no direct communications with the people below, except through hand signals,” Salem said. “We wished Pits good luck,” Salem said. “The FY21 NDAA focuses on maintaining the strength of our defense enterprise as our nation grapples with a once-in-a-generation…, President Donald J. Trump nominated Adm. John C. Aquilino to lead U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the Pentagon announced on Dec. 3. On June 30, 1966, Pitsenbarger received the Air Force Cross. Pedro 73 moved into the hole in the jungle canopy for the next pickup. Ronald Bachman, was airborne at 3:12 p.m. Pitsenbarger was on Pedro 73, which was close behind. In the Pentagon, the proposal had to be reviewed by various offices and organizations and might well have mired down in bureaucratic muck had it not been for a special champion. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. “What we didn’t know on Monday, April 11, was that we were walking straight into D-800’s base camp, and that the undergrowth was so utterly dense in this part of the jungle that we couldn’t be reinforced easily,” said John W. Libs, who in 1966 was a first lieutenant leading C Company’s 2nd Platoon. The PJ on the flight that went out from Bien Hoa the morning of April 12 was A1C Harry O’Beirne, who lived in the same cubicle as Pits. When the choppers returned to the jungle site, Pitsenbarger asked the pilot to put him on the ground. His memory is also honored by the Air Force Association through our annual Pitsenbarger scholarship program. As engine RPM dropped, the helicopter began sinking slowly. For that action, he had been recommended for the Airman’s Medal. Pitsenbarger concealed my body with a dead soldier, probably to protect me from getting hit again or even from being killed if we were overrun. “Pitsenbarger continued cutting pants legs, shirts, pulling off boots, and generally taking care of the wounded. On Dec. 8, 2000, the Medal of Honor was presented posthumously to A1C William H. Pitsenbarger in a ceremony at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, not far from his hometown of Piqua. He must have known that we were taking heavy ground fire. 19. Airman Pitsenbarger is the 59th Medal of Honor recipient, and sixth enlisted recipient, from the Air Force and its predecessor organizations. It was on these occasions that I saw Airman Pitsenbarger moving around and pulling wounded men out of the line of fire and then bandaging their wounds. 300. Bravo Company was well off to the left flank, and the jungle was so thick that it took an hour to hack out 100 yards of single-file trail. Air Force veteran John Pierson of Roseburg poses for a photograph at the Roseburg National Cemetery Annex. Among those providing letters of support were seven of the surviving members of Charlie Company, including two of the four platoon leaders. All around them was triple-canopy jungle, the tallest trees reaching up 150 feet. The psychological pressure was beyond comprehension. As the day wore on, the unevenness of the terrain led Charlie Company away from the other two. “We got an urgent message to get back out to Binh Ba,” O’Beirne said. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. He had also been to Air Force “tree jump” school, training that included three parachute jumps into a forest, wearing tree jumping suits. For his bravery and sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the nation's highest military decorations, the Medal of Honor and the Air Force Cross, becoming th… The situation on the ground was described by 1st Lt. Martin Kroah, leader of Charlie Company’s 3rd Platoon. The survivors recommended him for the Medal of Honor, but it was downgraded to the Air Force Cross. However, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, proposed the award of the Air Force Cross instead. “Hammond kept the Stokes litter going down while signaling for Pits to grab hold of the Stokes litter when it came within reach so we could pull him out. Charles F. Navarro, a squad leader in Charlie Company’s 1st Platoon. Pedro 73 moved into the hole and made the next pickup, but it did not go smoothly. After 34 years, Pitsenbarger’s heroic actions had finally received full recognition. Shortly after that, I observed Pitsenbarger reaching for the Stokes litter to try and load up another wounded man. The official website of the U.S. Air Force. When I was put down in the jungle, I was told that there were 30-some dead and the rest were wounded. Congressional Medal of … Reinforcements, led by Bravo Company, arrived at dawn. Medals Awarded to Members of the US Air Force. He had not yet completed his first enlistment in the Air Force. I searched and found it covered with a poncho. Later, Pitsenbarger took up a position next to me. “I can show those guys how to rig the Stokes litter and load it right. To put down on paper what that battle was like is an impossible task. It would be over 30 years before the heroic actions of Pitsenbarger were recognized and nominated for the Medal of Honor. Flying on almost 300 rescue missions in Vietnam, Bill Pitsenbarger risked his life almost daily during the war rescuing downed soldiers and fliers. Alice Pitsenbarger (right) observes as her husband, William F. Pitsenbarger (center), accepts the Medal of Honor on behalf of his son, A1C William H. Pitsenbarger, from Secretary of the Air Force Whit Peters, during a ceremony Dec. 8, 2000, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. It was a struggle to get the soldier aboard. “The firing was so intense that a fire team leader in my platoon curled up in a fetal position and sobbed uncontrollably. William Hart Pitsenbarger (July 8, 1944 – April 11, 1966) was a United States Air Force Pararescueman who gave his life aiding and defending a unit of soldiers pinned down by an enemy assault in Vietnam. Upon further review in the 1990s, a number of private citizens and federal officials successfully advocated that the Medal of Honor would more accurately characterize Pitsenbarger… This will bring up your browser's "Find" function, where you can enter the last name of an individual and skip to them on the list. Lawmakers often opt to keep Air Force systems that bring jobs to their districts, which complicates matters as the service looks to modernize and ditch certain platforms.…, The Air Force sent two bomber task force missions to the Pacific and Europe on Dec. 3, with a B-52 linking up with Greek and Norwegian fighters after another was forced to divert, and B-1s headed back to Guam. At the same time, he amazingly proceeded to return enemy fire whenever he could. On December 8, 2000, at a ceremony held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, the nation awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously to Airman 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger, who gave his life to save others during a Vietnam War battle in 1966. Pitsenbarger was the first Air Force enlisted man to earn the Medal of Honor since the U.S. Air Force was established as a separate service in 1947. The extraction was precarious because the soldiers had not strapped the wounded man in. “For Airman Pitsenbarger to expose himself, on three separate occasions, to this enemy fire was certainly above and beyond the call of duty of any man. The Nation Museum of the Air Force website states “He descended a hundred feet into the firefight with a medical bag, a supply of splints, a rifle and a pistol.” As the battle raged on, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to care for the wounded, pull them out of the line of fire, and return fire whenever he could, during which time he was wounded three times. “Hammond was now frantically motioning to Pits to get him to try and grab onto the Stokes litter, but Pits continued to give Hammond the wave-off and appeared to be hollering for us to get the hell out of there. What the detachment there flew was the HH-43F Huskie-known everywhere as “Pedro”-the small utility helicopter that hovered over the runway, prepared for fire suppression, when an airplane landed with a gear malfunction, a warning light, or some other problem or emergency. The total reflects all deals DSCA has approved in the fiscal year, $50.78 billion of which is implemented…. 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