On April 11, 1966, 134 U.S. Army Soldiers from Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division were under attack by a battalion of Communist Viet Cong forces near Cam My, South Vietnam, located about 35 miles east of the South Vietnamese capital city of Saigon. Outnumbering the Americans nearly 5 to 1, the North Vietnamese managed to surround Charlie Company pinning the unit down under heavy fire. As the battle continued casualties began to mount and a call was made to assist with the evacuation of the wounded.
Due to Charlie Company’s location beneath a jungle canopy of trees which ranged from 50 to 150 feet overhead of their positions, Army helicopters were not capable of penetrating the thick foliage in order to land and retrieve the wounded. The only aircraft nearby capable of removing wounded from such a precarious position was the U.S. Air Force HH-43 Huskie which had a winch and cable system installed that allowed wounded personnel to be lifted up through jungle canopy without the helicopter having to land. Detachment 6, of the Air Force’s 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was dispatched to assist. On board one of the helicopters sent to assist was pararescuman Airman 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger.
Born on July 8, 1944 in Piqua, Ohio, Pitsenbarger enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from high school in 1962. He had previously tried to join the U.S. Army Special Forces in the year prior to graduation but his parents refused to give their permission which was required at the time because of his young age. Pitsenbarger completed Air Force basic training in 1963 and volunteered to become a pararescuman becoming one of the first Airmen to successfully complete all of the demanding training requirements directly from basic training. Pitsenbarger shipped overseas in 1965 and was assigned to the 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam.
Arriving on scene over Charlie Company’s location, Pitsenbarger’s helicopter hovered above the jungle canopy and lowered the rescue basket to the ground. Seeing the Soldiers on the ground experiencing difficulty in loading the wounded into the rescue basket, Pitsenbarger volunteered to descend to the ground and assist in preparing the wounded for evacuation and loading them into the rescue basket despite the intense firefight which still raged below.
Capt. Harold Salem, pilot of the HH-43, asked Pitsenbarger if he was sure that really wanted to be lowered to the ground. Pitsenbarger responded: “Yes sir! Captain I know I can really make a difference.” The pilot agreed to Pitsenbarger’s request, only if he would promise to return to the aircraft as soon as the pilot signaled that it was time to pull out. Pitsenbarger agreed and then lowered himself 150 feet down to the jungle floor equipped with a medical bag, a supply of splints, an M-16 rifle, and a pistol. The Soldiers on the ground were astonished to see Pitsenbarger emerge from the tree tops in disbelief that anyone would volunteer for such a potentially deadly mission.
As soon as he hit the ground Pitsenbarger began treating the wounded continually exposing himself to enemy fire as he prepared the Soldiers for evacuation. After receiving a ‘thumbs up’ from Pitsenbarger, the first casualty was winched into the helicopter which soon departed the area for a nearby staging ground only to be replaced by another HH-43. This process repeated itself nine times under heavy enemy small arms and mortar fire within the engagement area.
On the 10th approach the Viet Cong forces began to focus their fire on the helicopters too. Pretty soon the enemy fire became too intense to allow the helicopters to continue the rescue operation and Pitsenbarger was given the signal from his pilot to get on board the hoist and evacuate. Pitsenbarger waved off the helicopter shouting, “Get out of here, I’ll get the next one out.” The pilot then again signaled for Pitsenbarger to get on board the hoist but for a second time his signal was waved off by Pitsenbarger.
Taking heavy battle damage, the HH-43 became difficult to maneuver and the winch cable soon became entangled in the jungle canopy. The pilot ordered the cable to be cut free and the helicopter departed the area crash landing a short time later in a safe area a short distance away. Another helicopter began to head towards the area but was radioed off after the Charlie Company commander was forced to call in a heavy artillery barrage directly on their position as a result of the increasing intensity of the enemy assault. As darkness approached all further attempts at medical evacuations were halted due to enemy action.
Choosing to remain with Charlie Company, Pitsenbarger continued to treat the wounded despite his dwindling stock of medical supplies. As the pace of battle continued to intensify, Pitsenbarger gave his pistol to a wounded Soldier who was physically unable to hold a rifle. For the next hour and a half, Pitsenbarger alternated between treating the wounded and moving about the area collecting ammunition and weapons from the dead and wounded in order to distribute it for use amongst the perimeter defenders.
As darkness finally fell, the enemy launched yet another concentrated assault forcing Pitsenbarger to help defend the wounded and the overall position with his rifle. Seeing a nearby Soldier fall to the ground, Pitsenbarger began to move towards the Soldier in an attempt to render aid when he was struck four times by enemy fire which killed him instantly. Nearly overrun, Charlie Company managed to hold on after receiving additional artillery support and the enemy eventually withdrew their assault during the night. The next day, the helicopters returned and Pitsenbarger’s remains were recovered by fellow Airmen from the 38th.
One officer on the ground with Pitsenbarger that day later commented: “On three different occasions I glimpsed movement, and it was Pitsenbarger dragging somebody behind a tree trunk or a fallen tree, trying to give them first aid. It just seemed like he was everywhere. Everybody else was ducking, and he was crouched and crawling and dragging people by the collar and pack straps out of danger….I’m not certain of the number of dead and wounded exactly, but I’m certain that the death count would have been much higher had it not been for the heroic efforts of Airman Pitsenbarger.”
Pitsenbarger is credited with directly saving the lives of the nine Soldiers he was able to provide treatment for and load for evacuation by helicopter. Of the 134 Soldiers engaged on the ground, 106 of them were killed or badly wounded as Charlie Company suffered an 80% casualty rate during the engagement. Many of those who did survive the battle credit their survival directly to Pitsenbarger.
Pitsenbarger was originally nominated for the Medal of Honor; however, that nomination was downgraded at the time due to a lack of sufficient documentation to support the award. On September 22, 1966, Pitsenbarger was instead awarded the Air Force Cross in a ceremony conducted at the Pentagon. He was the first enlisted Airmen in history to receive the Air Force Cross (prior to July 9, 1960, when the Air Force Cross was first established, Airmen of all ranks were when eligible awarded the Distinguished Service Cross instead).
For the next 30 years veterans of Charlie Company made various efforts to have Pitsenbarger’s Air Force Cross reconsidered for an upgrade to the Medal of Honor. In the mid-1990’s, members of Pitsenbarger’s high school graduation class, supported by veterans of Charlie Company, worked with the Airmen’s Memorial Museum to assemble a formal nomination package for the upgrade to the Medal of Honor. This effort was endorsed by retired Major General Allison C. Brooks, who was in command of Air Force rescue operations during 1966, and included personal testimony from several veterans of Charlie Company and Air force helicopter pilot Capt. Harold Salem. The nomination package was presented to the Department of the Air Force for review on their behalf by Ohio Congressional Representative John Boehner. After reviewing the nomination package, the Air Force forwarded their recommendation for approval of the upgrade back to Congress.
On Oct. 6, 2000, Congress finally authorized the award of the Medal of Honor to Pitsenbarger, nearly 34 and a half years after the combat action in which he earned it. Pitsenbarger’s Medal of Honor was presented to his parents during a ceremony conducted at the National Museum of the Air Force on Dec. 8, 2000, which was officiated by Secretary of the Air Force Whit Peters. In addition to receiving the Medal of Honor, Pitsenbarger was also posthumously promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Just 21 years old at the time of his Medal of Honor action, Pitsenbarger is the youngest Airman in Air Force history to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Perhaps the most fitting tribute to Pitsenbarger came in the months leading up to final approval from Congress for the upgrade. This tribute came in a personal letter which was written from a father to his son. The father, a veteran of Charlie Company, wrote to his son who was then currently serving as an Airman 1st Class in the U.S. Air Force: “All Bill Pitsenbarger knew of any of us was that we were few fighting against many, that we were losing and that we needed help. What kind of courage was it that made him enter such a one-sided fight as we were in? His courage wasn’t born of self-preservation, fear, hate or meanness. He was a young man who wanted to save the lives of other men. He was moved by what is best in men, the unselfish love of his fellow man.”
At the time of his Medal of Honor action, Pitsenbarger was assigned to the 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, which was ultimately assigned to the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service and Military Airlift Command. Having activated in South Vietnam on March 28, 1966, Seventh Air Force was technically in operational control of the 38th at the time of Pitsenbarger’s Medal of Honor of action; however, the squadron remained assigned to the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service and Military Airlift Command and as a result, Pitsenbarger is one of just four Airmen (out of a total of 14) to have earned the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War without serving directly with Seventh Air Force at the time of the action in which they earned the nation’s highest military honor.
