The Air Force Sergeants Association annually confers a "Pitsenbarger Award," which recognizes an Air Force enlisted member for heroic acts on or off duty that . The company, part of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Regiment was moving through the jungles northeast of Binh Gia on a routine-patrol. Notice:Visitors may be filmed, photographed or recorded by the U.S. Air Force for educational and promotional uses, including for posting on public websites and social media. Heedless of the potential for disaster should the heavy prop wash of the Huskie's twin-blades detonate other mines in the field, Airman Pitsenbarger made the ascent, snatched the wounded soldier, and restored him to safety. His parents, however, convinced him to finish his studies; he graduated in the class of 1962. Following the recovery of the ninth casualty, the rescue aircraft hovering overhead was damaged and disabled by automatic weapon fire. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Now, as he led his fire-team through the dense jungles of Phuoc Tuy province, he recalled what he had written home in his most recent letter"The price we pay for freedom is never cheap." The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Pitsenbarger was given the Air Force Cross for his actions on June 30, 1966. -. They had one child: Sarah F. Pitsenbarger. An adventurer since boyhood, his greatest thrill had always been the opportunity to save lives. The surrounded Americans fought for hours and sustained several casualties. William Nolen of Florence, S.C. described how the battle involving his "Big Red One" troops developed. He also became qualified as a U.S. Navy Scuba Diver. After completing, he was assigned to the Rescue Squadron stationed at the Hamilton AFB, California. In a ceremony held at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Dec. 8, 2000, Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten "Whit" Peters presented the Medal of Honor to the parents, William F. and Alice Pitsenbarger, of Airman 1st Class William F. Pitsenbarger. Jim Locker of Sidney, Ohio; Master Sgt. Calming their uneasiness and fighting to overcome the emotions that struggled for release, the brave couple found themselves being introduced to the US Air Force Chief of Staff, General John P. McConnell. - Camera bags (During the Korean War, four Air Force pilots were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor but all received the Army design for the award.). His final training was in air crash rescue and firefighting. One hundred eighty American soldiers on patrol had come upon a much larger force of Viet Cong in a dense jungle area. The two Huskies then turned towards the field aid station 7 miles away near the village of Binh Ba. Dead and wounded American boys littered the undergrowth in what was quickly becoming a massacre. His rifle empty, Sergeant Robinson again ignored his wounds to attack. Meanwhile, Alpha and Bravo Companies poised themselves for a rescue attempt at daylight. Even as a lad he had flirted with danger, taking his childhood games like "follow the leader" to the ledges of the highest buildings or the limbs of the tallest trees. Edison Community College in Piqua, Ohio, awards the Pitsenbarger Scholarship to two full-time students per year who can show financial need. Failed to delete memorial. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. On April 11, 1966, his day off, he volunteered to board one of two Kaman HH-43F Huskie helicopters dispatched to extract a half-dozen or so wounded soldiers pinned down in a firefight near Cam My, a rural area of Vietnam located 35 miles east of Saigon. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Little did he know how expensive that price was about to become. Statue dedication ceremony for A1C William H. Pitsenbarger statue at the Pitsenbarger Sports Complex in Piqua, Ohio on November 14, 2015. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Twelve members of the United States Air Force received Medals of Honor for heroic actions in Vietnam. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Pitsenbarger, a Piqua native, was born to William F. and Irene Pitsenbarger on July 8, 1944. San Francisco television stations covered the rescue on the evening news.. Among other problems, he had also lost partial rudder control. On December 8, 2000, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the airman's father, William F. Pitsenbarger, and his wife, Alice, accepted the Medal of Honor from Secretary of the Air Force Whit Peters. The nearest clearing was 4 miles away. Jump to navigation Jump to search. William Hart Pitsenbarger (July 8, 1944 - April 11, 1966) was a United States Air Force Pararescueman who flew on almost 300 rescue missions during the Vietnam War to aid downed soldiers and pilots. When the young PJs feet touched the ground, he went into immediate action. After he graduated in 1962, an Air Force recruiter inspired him to sign up. When Airman Pitsenbarger got orders for service in the war zone in August 1965 he had only a little more than a year remaining in his 4-year Air Force enlistment. His experience expedited the process of getting the wounded soldier into the stokes litter and a fourth casualty was being hauled skyward. Pitsenbarger was the 59th Medal of Honor recipient, and sixth enlisted recipient, from the Air Force and its predecessor organizations.[4]. Failed to remove flower. NEW WESTON Clarence William Pitsenbarger, 93, of New Weston, Ohio, passed away on Saturday August 21, 2021, at 12:10 a.m., at Versailles Rehab and Healthcare, Versailles, Ohio. His posthumous award was presented to his father at the Pentagon in ceremonies on July 16, 1967. [5] His unit was composed of five aircrews that flew three Kaman HH-43F Huskie helicopters. In a ceremony held at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Dec. 8, 2000, Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten "Whit" Peters presented the Medal of Honor to the parents, William F. and Alice Pitsenbarger, of Airman 1st Class William F. Pitsenbarger. He had at least 2 sons and 1 daughter with Viola Jane Bowyer. Moments later a stokes litter was being lowered to the ground. The historical marker is on Route 48, north of Covington. Find a Grave, database and images ( https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 25 April 2020), memorial page for Irene E. Hart Pitsenbarger (17 Nov 1914-4 Dec 1991), Find a Grave Memorial no. Permitted Items: It was Spring 1966, during a rescue mission that Pitsenbarger was offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of a combat zone heavily under fire, but he chose to stay behind to save and defend the lives of his fellow soldiers before making the ultimate sacrifice in the bloodiest battle of the war. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. The price Sergeant Robinson paid for freedom wasn't cheaphe purchased it with his own life. William McDaniel II of Greenville, Ohio; and Airman 1st Class James Pleiman of Russia, Ohio. Lieutenant Libs strained his eyes against the unexpected sight. He even gave away his own pistol, and did have a firearm to return enemy fire. Surviving is a son, Richter "Rick" James Pitsenbarger of St. Albans, West Virginia; a sister, Agnes Hodge (Sammy) of Hot Springs, Virginia. Pitsenbarger, a Piqua native, was born to William F. and Irene Pitsenbarger on July 8, 1944. Later that same afternoon the Senator would write in theCongressional Record, "They (Mr. and Mrs. Pitsenbarger) stood there heroically, in my opinion reflecting the courageous and stalwart character of their son.". One must imagine William Pitsenbarger must have felt fear himself. "One of my boys picked up a grenade and charged one of the trees. Portraits in Courage - William Pitsenbarger: Medal of Honor recipient ). This browser does not support getting your location. Time and again, as was not uncommon among any of the dedicated PJs, Pits had made the ascent from the relative shelter of his hovering Huskie to the jungle floor to render immediate first aid to wounded and then strap them into the lowered Stokes Litter. Since the litter was already outside the helicopter, Hammond placed the penetrator inside the stokes and began lowering both. Also attending was an elderly gentleman, now well into his 80sWilliam F. Pitsenbarger. A system error has occurred. He was hit seven times before he was finally killed," he said. Time and again these brave medics had been inserted to save lives. Pitsenbarger, a Piqua native, was born to William F. and Irene Pitsenbarger on July 8, 1944. Mary was born on April 11 1834, in West Virginia, USA. The recommendation for William Pitsenbarger's Medal of Honor was downgraded to the Air Force Cross. She was born October 28, 1929 in Moyers, WV a daughter of the late Lona (Rexrode) and Frank Simmons. He also became qualified as a U.S. Navy Scuba Diver. On April 11, 1966, three rifle companies from 1st Infantry Division - also known as the " Big Red One " - were sent to fight the Viet Cong . Olly Richards NME. Shortly thereafter, the area came under sniper and mortar fire. Please reset your password. Try again later. After Air Force basic training, the young airman had continued to push the envelope and expand his thirst for adventure. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. He came there to save lives and that was what he was doing., -Fred Navarro, a man whose life William Pitsenbarger saved -, (Photocourtesy of the Piqua Public Library History Department). On the ground, he organized and coordinated rescue efforts, cared for the wounded, prepared casualties for evacuation, and insured that the recovery operation continued in a smooth and orderly fashion. She was a homemaker. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Pits expected the Air Force Huskies, or at least Pedro 97, to return for more wounded. Pedro 97 went in first, lowering the stokes litter to retrieve one of the wounded. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? On December 2, 1950, she married William "Virgil" Pitsenbarger, who preceded her in death. In one lifeless hand Pits still held his M-16 rifle. His parents, however, convinced him to finish his studies; he graduated in the class of 1962. At some point, a fatal bullet hit him. Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to remain on the ground and administer medical treatment to the wounded. 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 returned fire whenever he could, during which time he was wounded three times.. William Hart "Bill" Pitsenbarger was born in Piqua, Ohio on July 8, 1944, but he was destined to leave the small town. The dragging litter threatened to snag in the foliage and bring Pedro 73 crashing to the ground. This was granted. Pits was born in Piqua, Ohio, on July 8, 1944. The first explosion came from American artillery fired in support ofOperation Abilene. he attended the fire-fighters course for the HH-43 helicopter. He attended the Navy's underwater swimmers school. His name can be found on Panel 06E Line 102 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Born in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, she was the widow of the late James Pitsenbarger and daughter of the late William Richter Corron and Matilda May Nixon Corron. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Mildred Pitsenbarger to pay them a last tribute. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, All Major Military Award Recipients (PDF). William Pitsenbarger's Background A1C Pitsenbarger, an Ohio native, is one of three Medal of Honor Recipients from Piqua, Ohio. This is a carousel with slides. You can always change this later in your Account settings. For nearly a month the officer and his two medics had treated the injured while leading them to rescue. - Food and Soda Drinks or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. [1][3], He is buried in Miami Memorial Park Cemetery Covington, Ohio. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. But the Huskies had a unique advantage. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. William Pitsenbarger Jr., 91, of Marseilles, passed away Friday, November 17, 2017 at Ottawa Pavilion. "The mother was brave. Mildred Pitsenbarger Obituary With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Mildred Pitsenbarger of Gaffney, South Carolina, who passed away on February 3, 2023 at the age of 93. As one of the helicopters lowered its litter basket to Pitsenbarger, who had remained on the ground with the 20 infantrymen still alive, it was hit by a burst of enemy small-arms fire. Parts of Georgia grand jury report on Trump post-election conduct released; John Fetterman checks himself into Walter Reed for clinical depression It was the Air Force Cross, our Nation's second-highest award for military valor by a member of the United States Air Force. He and another pararescuer were asked to find two hunters lost in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Navarro described the April 11, 1966 battle, where he was rescued by Airman 1st Class William Hart Pitsenbarger, now the subject of a Hollywood movie. The Huskie was the first chopper to land and O'Berne moved among the dead to find and load three wounded infantrymen. It is next to the Piqua Veterans Memorial. Pitsenbarger was born in 1944 and grew up in Piqua, Ohio, a small town near Dayton. His medical training had served him well, so well in fact, that he had applied to Arizona State University to study to become a medical technician or male nurse upon completion of his Air Force tour of duty a couple of months hence. Through his personal efforts, the evacuation of the wounded was greatly expedited. Try again later. The government of South Vietnam awarded him Vietnam's Medal of Military Merit and the Gallantry Cross with Bronze Palm. Then, over the cries of the wounded, he heard the sound of a returning rescue helicopter. The roadway honors four local USAF Pararescuemen who died in battle. In Vietnam Airman 1st Class William H. "Bill" Pitsenbarger gave his life so that others might live. Even as the enemy fire continued to scorch the area, he moved among the casualties to tend the wounded and administer life-saving medical attention. Nearby Lieutenant Johnny Libs was doing his best to bring some semblance of order to what remained of his platoon. 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