The Air Force in the Vietnam War - Air Force Association

1970.
nel. Levitow and another airman
dropping magnesium illumination
flares from the open cargo door
were knocked down. A live flare
fell inside the airplane, spewing
toxic smoke, and was seconds
away from exploding. Levitow
threw himself on the flare, crawled
to the door, and tossed it outside,
where it exploded. Levitow lived,
but he had more than 40 shrapnel
wounds. MOH awarded May 14,
A C William Pitsenbarger. On April 11, 1966, Pitsenbarger,
a pararescue jumper, descended from an HH-
43 helicopter into the jungle near Bien Hoa to help US
soldiers wounded in an intense firefight. As casualties
increased, he passed up a chance
to get out. He exposed himself to
enemy fire at least three times,
distributing ammunition and pulling
soldiers to safer positions before
he was killed. MOH awarded posthumously,
Dec. 8, 2000.
Capt. Lance P. Sijan. Sijan was
severely injured Nov. 9, 1967,
when his F-4C was blown out of
the air on a night mission over
Laos. He parachuted into trees on a mountain slope.
Despite his injuries and lack of any real food, he
evaded capture for more than six weeks. Caught, he
escaped again, but was recaptured
and tortured. While a POW,
he contracted pneumonia and
died. MOH awarded posthumously,
March 4, 1976.
Maj. Leo K. Thorsness. On one
incredible mission, April 19, 1967,
F-105 leader Thorsness destroyed
two SAM sites, shot down a MiG-
17, refueled, escorted the search
for a downed aircrew, and attacked
four MiG-17s, drawing them away from the location of
the crew on the ground. MOH awarded Oct. 15, 1973
— after Thorsness, shot down on a subsequent mission,
returned from almost six years as a POW.
Capt. Hilliard A. Wilbanks.
On Feb. 24, 1967, Wilbanks in
an unarmed O-1, flying a forward
air control mission in support
of South Vietnamese Rangers,
discovered a Viet Cong battalion
waiting in ambush. He dived on
them three times, shooting out his
side window with an M-16 rifle,
diverting the attack and drawing
the VC fire toward himself. He was
severely wounded, crashed, and
died before the rescue team could get him home. MOH
awarded posthumously, Jan. 24, 1968.
Capt. Gerald O. Young.
On Nov. 9, 1967— with two helicopters
already lost in a rescue
operation in Laos—Young managed
to land, but his HH-3E was
shot down on takeoff and burst
into flames. Young pulled one survivor
from the wreckage and hid
him. Realizing the enemy intended
to use them as bait to draw in
another helicopter, Young led the
pursuers on a 17-hour chase through the brush before
rescuers got him out. MOH awarded May 14, 1968.
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