Amid a flood of memories, an invocation by the Chief of the Air Force Chaplain Service, and remarks by the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Secretary of the Air Force the Honorable F. Whitten Peters stepped to the podium. The historical marker is on Route 48, north of Covington. 1928 - 2017. For Mr. and Mrs. William Pitsenbarger, the September 22, 1966 visit to the home of America's military men and women had all the elements of culture shock. 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.". From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty near Cam My, April 11, 1966: 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Bronze Palm, Republic of Vietnam Medal of Military Merit, Detachment 6, 38th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron, National Museum of the United States Air Force, List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War, "William H. Pitsenbarger: Bravest Among the Brave Vietnam War Veteran", "Airman 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger", "Sebastian Stan and all-star cast elevate the heroism of 'The Last Full Measure', "Vietnam War Period Medal of Honor recipients", United States Army Center of Military History, Wright Patterson Air Force Base Skywrighter, "William H. Pitsenbarger: A Hero of Piqua and America", "Pitsenbarger's memorial page on The Virtual Wall", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_H._Pitsenbarger&oldid=1134674290, This page was last edited on 19 January 2023, at 23:17. There were mortars coming in, heavy machinegun fire. The elder Pitsenbarger gratefully accepted the award on behalf of his only son. The stokes litter dragged through the trees as Captain Salem fought for control. Sergeant Robinson noticed another American fall ahead of his position. One hundred eighty American soldiers on patrol had come upon a much larger force of Viet Cong in a dense jungle area. After six wounded men had been flown to an aid station, the two U.S. Air Force helicopters returned for their second load. Statue dedication ceremony for A1C William H. Pitsenbarger statue at the Pitsenbarger Sports Complex in Piqua, Ohio on November 14, 2015. When the others began running low on ammunition, he gathered ammunition from the dead and distributed it to those still alive. In 1945, in the era of the U.S. Army Air Forces, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress crewman, Henry Erwin, was awarded the medal for saving his crew and aircraft on a bombing run over Japan. Without their PJ aboard, the chopper could only carry out one stokes patient, so Pedro 73 headed back to Binh Ba. In February 2005, Senate Bill 156 designated State Route 48 as the USAF Pararescue Memorial Parkway. He examined Pitsenbargers body and found that he had four wounds. William McDaniel II of Greenville, Ohio; and Airman 1st Class James Pleiman of Russia, Ohio. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. - Knives The Air Force Huskies could hover over the last layers of the jungle foliage and winch a wire-mesh Stokes Litterto those on the ground. Further, any commercial or non-commercial use of this photograph or any other Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters presented the award, which was accepted by William F. Pitsenbarger on his son's behalf. Airman Pitsenbarger arrived in Vietnam on August 8th and was assigned to Detachment 6, 38th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base. An official website of the United States government, National Museum of the United States Air Force, All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. When the mission called for such acts of personal courage, there was never a shortage of volunteers. Air Force buildings were named for him, and the Air Force Sergeants Association introduced an annual award for valor in honor of the heroic actions reflected in his award citation. He was born May 2, 1928 in Bradford, Ohio, the son of the late James Elmer Pitsenbarger and Iva (Sowers) Asher. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? During a subsequent attempt to evacuate the site, American forces came under heavy assault by a large Viet Cong force. Dead and dying were everywhere and panic was pushing his young soldiers beyond reason. According to members of his squadron, Bill enjoyed participating in flights to treat patients at a leper colony in Viet Cong controlled territory. Once he was lowered from a helicopter to rescue a South Vietnamese soldier in a burning mine field. The man had lost his foot when he stepped on a mine and was trapped inside a maze of old and unstable explosive devices. It was on those occasions I saw Airman Pitsenbarger moving around and pulling wounded men out of the line of fire and then bandaging their wounds. As the infantrymen fought to reclaim enough jungle landscape for the medevacs to land, the enemy attacked with mortars and machinegun fire. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. The first explosion came from American artillery fired in support ofOperation Abilene. This browser does not support getting your location. Lieutenant Libs strained his eyes against the unexpected sight. Captain Ronald Bachman piloted the primary HH-43, call sign "Pedro 97". Year should not be greater than current year. Finding one wounded infantryman, injured beyond the ability to fire a rifle, Pits gave the soldier his own pistol to enable him to continue to resist. "The mother was brave. Beneath was the body of his friend, Pararescue medic William Pitsenbargershot four times. OperationAbilenebegan on April 10, 1966Easter Sunday. He was killed. A pararescueman, Pitsenbarger saved lives in an example of selfless heroism worthy of the Medal of Honor. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division, better known as "The Big Red One", began to move into the jungle between Saigon and Vung Tau in search of the enemy. Henry Pitsenbarger, . There was an error deleting this problem. The only hope of getting the wounded out and headed for emergency field hospitals lay with the Air Force Huskies that were capable of hovering above the canopy to lower an empty stokes litter, then winch it back up with the body of a wounded strapped inside. Pitsenbarger, a Piqua native, was born to William F. and Irene Pitsenbarger on July 8, 1944. They were also dedicated to saving lives, not only during times of war but also in peace. The firing was so intense that a fire team leader in my platoon curled up in a fetal position and sobbed uncontrollably. Clarence William Pitsenbarger, 93 of New Weston, Ohio, passed away on Saturday August 21, 2021 at 12:10 AM at Versailles Rehab and Healthcare, Versailles, Ohio. Now, stranded on the ground with the few survivors of Charlie Company, he took little time to ponder the predicament into which he had voluntarily placed himself. His rifle empty, Sergeant Robinson again ignored his wounds to attack. In one lifeless hand Pits still held his M-16 rifle. One round fell short, detonating in the top of the jungle canopy and raining deadly shrapnel on Sergeant Robinson's platoon. The two Huskies then turned towards the field aid station 7 miles away near the village of Binh Ba. Irene Pitsenbarger may have thought briefly about the many times her young son had given her reason for fright. In fact, the letters and pictures he sent back seemed to indicate that Airman Pitsenbarger was actually having a good time at the Air Base a short distance from the South Vietnamese capital city of Saigon. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Ohio Miami County Covington Pitsenbarger was killed by Viet Cong snipers later that night. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Mildred Pitsenbarger to pay them a last tribute. Search above to list available cemeteries. The drill team of the AFJROTC unit at Martinsburg High School, Martinsburg WV is known as the Pitsenbarger Rifles. He was born June 17, 1933, in Moyers, WV and was the son of the late Henry M. Pitsenbarger, Sr., and Nora Alice (Smith) Pitsenbarger. By 3:30 the two Air Force choppers were hovering over the tops of the jungle canopy while death and devastation raged below. He was leaving that very night. The company, part of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Regiment was moving through the jungles northeast of Binh Gia on a routine-patrol. At some point during the rescue, they encountered a bear. The other men in his Detachment enjoyed being around Pits. He also became qualified as a U.S. Navy Scuba Diver. Pitsenbarger 'Pits' arrived in Vietnam in August 1965. Oops, we were unable to send the email. In the 275 days from August 8, 1965 to April 11, 1966, Airman First Class William Pitsenbarger flew more than 300 rescue missions over the jungles of Vietnam. Arriving with the Army's CH47 helicopters on Tuesday morning was the only operable Huskie from Detachment 6. Shirley A. Pitsenbarger age 90, of Versailles passed away at 9:16 pm Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at her residence. On the ground, Pits signaled for the penetrator. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. "I'm sorry but one of your buddies was killed last night," he informed the PJ, then pointed towards a poncho covered bundle in the distance. As Captain Salem headed towards the aid station, Pedro 97 moved in to hover over the battlefield. They hauled out about a dozen of our wounded. This includes Pitsenbarger; Sgt. The Viet Cong were everywhere. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. San Francisco television stations covered the rescue on the evening news.. After unloading at Binh Ba, Pedro 73 diverted to refuel while Captain Bachman and Pedro 97 returned for the fifth pick-up of the day. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. The package was about 10 feet off the ground and Pits was reaching upwards to receive it when a flurry of enemy .30 caliber rounds from two separate positions, raked the hovering rescue helicopter. Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to remain on the ground and administer medical treatment to the wounded. Arrangements by Seals-Campbell Funeral Home, 815-795-5151, www.sealscampbell.com Published. He was born on May 18, 2019 at Mayo Clinic Health Systems - Eau Claire, the son of Ronald Pitsenbarger, Jr. and Ann (Moyer) Nelson. 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. After review and nearly 35 years later, the original award was upgraded.[4][7]. This account has been disabled. No longer could he hear the sounds of William Pitsenbarger's M-16. Lenie A Pitsenbarger Lenie A. Pitsenbarger, 48, of Mentor, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, at Lake West Medical Center in Willoughby. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in December 1963 and went to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas for basic training. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. O'Berne replied that he was. The decoration was upgraded to. They forbade it, but after graduating in 1962 he enlisted in the Air Force. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. During his basic training in early 1963, he volunteered for Pararescue. It was the only helicopter equipped with cables and winches that could be lowered into the jungle. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Alice C Pitsenbarger : Abt 1913: 7 Jan 2000: Redfield IA: View Record. This cable contained 3 spring-loaded seats that could be dropped through the heavy canopy to pull up men capable of riding the hoist up. "It brought back a lot of memories," he said . Jim Locker (Sidney) and A1C James Pielman (Russia). I couldnt believe that anybody was brave enough or crazy enough to come down on the ground with all the firing going on Even though there was 700 guns firing at the same time, it was to him like nothing was going on. Parts of Georgia grand jury report on Trump post-election conduct released; John Fetterman checks himself into Walter Reed for clinical depression His name can be found on Panel 06E Line 102 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He was chosen for pararescue duty and sent to several military schools in a variety of locations for further training: survival school, Army Infantry Jump School, Rescue and Survival Technicians Medical Course, Naval School of Underwater Swimmers and Air Rescue Service Transition Tree Jump Training. On that date, Airman Pitsenbarger was aboard a rescue helicopter responding to a call for evacuation of casualties incurred in an on-going firefight between elements of the United States Army's 1st Infantry Division and a sizable enemy force approximately 35 miles east of Saigon. (Note: Only the US Air Force HH43 Huskie helicopter could rescue wounded from the jungle. 0 cemeteries found in Covington, Miami County, Ohio, USA. Ignoring the pain, he dragged the wounded man to shelter, administered lifesaving first aid, and then treated his own serious wounds. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Pedro 97 went in first, lowering the stokes litter to retrieve one of the wounded. After his training was completed, he returned to Piqua on leave and then to his first duty assignment at Hamilton Air Force Base in California. I thought you might like to see a memorial for William Franklin Pitsenbarger I found on Findagrave.com. Pick him up, and then you can lift me up." He was frozen with fear, unable to move. How bad was it on the ground? By. Then, he joined the others with a rifle to hold off the Viet Cong. Lenie A Pitsenbarger Willoughby, Ohio March 26, 1973 - September 1, 2021 Obituary & Events Share a memory of Lenie A Pitsenbarger. Pits was born in Piqua, Ohio, on July 8, 1944. Next to him, the wounded Sergeant Navarro was struggling to stay alive and to resist. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. 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. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. The full force of the aggressors turned their firepower on the advancing American. Shortly after rescue efforts were interrupted, the area came under heavy sniper and mortar fire. 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william f pitsenbarger obituary