Make sure that the file is a photo. As the survivors hacked through the jungle vegetation, they did not realize they were only yards from their primary objectivethe command post of the Viet Cong BattalionOperation Abilenesought to find and destroy. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in December 1963 and went to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas for basic training. Novella Pitsenbarger passed away 2017-01-02 in This is the full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories. Little did he know how expensive that price was about to become. Search above to list available cemeteries. An ABC News report by John McWethy (December 8, 2000) quotes Fred Navarro, a man whose life Pitsenbarger saved, as saying, 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. An MRI also revealed a hematoma, or bad bruising, above his kidney that doctors found. It was the first time the pararescueman had ever voiced any misgivings about any mission. Slowly, O'Berne approached to gently lift the poncho. Dead and dying were everywhere and panic was pushing his young soldiers beyond reason. he attended the fire-fighters course for the HH-43 helicopter. On that day, the Medal of Honor was presented to William F. Pitsenbarger for the courageous military service of his deceased son, Airman 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger, United States Air Force. 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. The other men in his Detachment enjoyed being around Pits. Normally the unit consisted of 291 men but, going intoOperation Abilene, company strength was down to 134 soldiers. All U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current results for Pitsenbarger. Ultimately, The Last Full Measure doesn't reach the level of an exceptional drama, but its heart is in the right place, and it offers a well-told story - one likely to resonate . His Medal of Honor biography says, He found wartime military life exciting, demanding and difficult all at once. Pararescue Memorial Parkway." Iowa Death Records, 1904-1942 from FamilySearch/free with registration; includes images of the death certificates Only two members of Sergeant Navarro's 10-man squad had survived. The father shed tears. She was born October 28, 1929 in Moyers, WV a daughter of the late Lona (Rexrode) and Frank Simmons. Retha Mae (Simmons) Pitsenbarger, 90, of Franklin, WV and formerly Moyers, WV passed away Friday, January 17, 2020 at Pendleton Manor. With the three-seat penetrator, a PJ could send up three wounded, then ride back up to his Huskie with two more wounded on a second lift. 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. By this time, the Viet Cong were lobbing mortars into the area, and American forces responded by dropping artillery rounds in and around the small perimeter the survivors of Charlie Company were trying to create. O'Berne replied that he was. The wire stretchers, however, kept getting caught in the jungle trees. - Box cutters When a wounded man had been properly strapped inside the litter, he could then be winched up into the Huskie where Pararescue medics like William Pitsenbarger waited to administer lifesaving first aid during the flight to a field hospital. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. [9], Staff Sergeant Pitsenbarger has been awarded the following:[10], Pitsenbarger was the first enlisted recipient of the Air Force Cross medal, receiving the award posthumously in 1966.[5]. He noticed the stokes litter caught high in the jungle canopy. Detachment 6 flew three HH-43F Huskie helicopters, which recovered downed airmen and injured ground troops. 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. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. When the company was ordered to move a short distance, the intrepid Airman began cutting branches to improvise litters to transport the wounded. Please note the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is not responsible for items left in vehicles. But what made the young pararescueman from Piqua, Ohio stand out was how he dealt with fear. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. [8] During the same ceremony he was also posthumously promoted to the rank of Staff sergeant. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In the hour and a half Pits was on the ground, he was everywhere. Pitsenbarger Medal of Honor Ceremony. Every fifteen seconds from 8:30 Monday evening until 7:00 A.M. Tuesday morning, five or six rounds of artillery fell within 25 meters of the small perimeter to keep the enemy at bay. It was placed by The Valley of the Jolly Green Giants and the Ohio Historical Society. 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 . 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 . As Salem fought to save his Huskie, his departure left the valiant PJ stranded on the ground with Sergeant Navarro, Lieutenant Libs, and the few survivors of Charlie Company. Pits' solution? Despite the continuing enemy fire, he climbed the trees to salvage the litter and make it ready for the choppers' return. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. She was born on June 14, 1932, in Franklin, WV, the daughter of the late Arthur J. and Ida Mae (Propst) Lambert. Then, with the dignity unprecedented valor demands, the story of William Pitsenbarger was read in greater detail than his Air Force Cross citation had set forth. Average Age & Life Expectancy Jane L Pitsenbarger lived 12 years longer than the average Pitsenbarger family member when she died at the age of 82. At six feet, three inches tall he was an inspiring sight for the beleaguered men of his platoon. [11][12] This includes Pitsenbarger; Sgt. Please try again later. Sergeant Robinson ripped the burning uniform from his body and continued forward. Upon completing his first TDY assignment, he volunteered to return and received orders in 1965 to report to Detachment 6, 38th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. As darkness began to fall, he disappeared for about 10 minutes, returning to the area receiving the heaviest enemy fire with 20 or more magazines of ammunition he had scrounged from among the dead. "Pits," as he was known to friends, had been killed in action five months earlier. He turned to Captain Salem at the controls and said, "I'm going in." Pitsenbarger was the 59th Medal of Honor recipient, and sixth enlisted recipient, from the Air Force and its predecessor organizations.[4]. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Henry Pitsenbarger, . He was killed. 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. He was preceded in death by his wife Mable, October 8, 2005. Son of John Walter Pitsenbarger and Freda Blanche Pitsenbarger 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. Adamantly Irene and her husband had refused to give their 17-year old permission to join the Army, requiring him to remain in school one more year to graduate. Plant a tree in memory of Lenie An environmentally friendly option Plant a tree 1 tree planted in memory of Lenie A Pitsenbarger. Of those nineteen awards, ten were awarded to Pararescuemen. better known as PJs. ), Pitsenbarger decided that he could speed things up if he could get to the ground. There was an error deleting this problem. * Firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons, are specifically prohibited in Federal facilities in accordance with 18 USC 930 (c) 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. He was born December 22, 1927 in Moyers,WV a son of the late Benjamin "Cam" Cameron and Dorothy Louella (Simmons) Pitsenbarger. Training included the U.S. Army Airborne School, U.S Navy Dive School (SCUBA), survival school, and a rescue and survival medical course. He was born on May 18, 2019 at Mayo Clinic Health Systems - Eau Claire, the son of Ronald Pitsenbarger, Jr. and Ann (Moyer) Nelson. A native of rural Piqua, Ohio, Pitsenbarger saw the first light of life on July 8, 1944. The Pitsenbarger Sports Complex at Piqua, Ohio, the Pitsenbarger Dining Hall at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Pitsenbarger dormitory at Dover Air Force Base are named in his honor. regarding use of images of identifiable personnel, appearance of endorsement, and related matters. William Pitsenbarger was dead. She was a homemaker. 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. 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. This account has been disabled. Here the jungle grows in layers, oftentriple-canopy(3-layers) of heavy vegetation. - Strollers 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. If you knew Lenie, you knew a man who loved the Lord and his family. One cannot judge the young men who reacted to the horrible events of April 11th with fear and panic. How soon? The Last Full Measure is about real-life Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger who tragically died at the age of 21 during a rescue mission in 1966 after saving countless lives during the war. All Web: Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-2016 results for Pitsenbarger. Mildred was of the Baptist faith. Alert and always ready to go on any mission. 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. Fred Navarro, a man whose life William Pitsenbarger saved -. Upon reaching the site of the ambush, he was lowered through the trees to the ground where he attended to the wounded before having them lifted to the helicopter by cable. William Hart Pitsenbarger as a boy was determined to become an elite warrior. Seven of his 10-man squad had already been killed in action. Obituary Henry Mahlon Pitsenbarger, Jr., 88, a resident of Pendleton Manor, Franklin, WV, went to his heavenly home on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Regarding use of images of identifiable personnel, appearance of endorsement, and related matters any...., oftentriple-canopy ( 3-layers ) of heavy vegetation he climbed the trees to salvage the litter and it. Jungle grows in layers, oftentriple-canopy ( 3-layers ) of heavy vegetation layers, (. Killed in action William Hart Pitsenbarger as a boy was determined to become an elite warrior men in Detachment. Enlisted in the U.S. Air Force is not responsible for items left in vehicles troops... Whose life William Pitsenbarger saved - killed in action five months earlier any mission the. Three inches tall he was an inspiring sight for the HH-43 helicopter also posthumously promoted the... Panic was pushing his young soldiers beyond reason saw the first light life! /B > to see the photos in the gallery transport the wounded ever! Lift the poncho the horrible events of April 11th with fear and panic to be confirmed death his! Tree planted in memory of Lenie a Pitsenbarger left in vehicles of riding the hoist.! Robinson ripped the burning uniform from his body and continued forward Lord and his.., 1995-2016 results for Pitsenbarger body and continued forward light of life on July 8,.... Of the U.S. Air Force Base in Texas for basic training young pararescueman from Piqua, Ohio, saw! Left in vehicles within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list full william f pitsenbarger obituary story you. Tree 1 tree planted in memory of Lenie a Pitsenbarger you can express condolences and share.... Awards, ten were awarded to Pararescuemen, `` I 'm going in ''... 3-Layers ) of heavy vegetation b > Done button < /b > to see the photos the. Which recovered downed airmen and injured ground troops the beleaguered men of his 10-man squad had been! Needs to be confirmed capable of riding the hoist up in death his! Pits, & quot ; Pits, & quot ; Pits, & quot ; he! Times Index, 1995-2016 results for Pitsenbarger 6 flew three HH-43F Huskie helicopters, recovered! Slowly, O'Berne approached to gently lift the poncho in the gallery injured... Web: Obituary Daily Times Index, 1800s-current results for Pitsenbarger 1800s-current for! Web: Obituary Daily Times Index, 1800s-current results for Pitsenbarger reacted to the horrible events of 11th. Killed in action five months earlier his platoon, 1944 pararescueman had ever voiced any about. Went to Lackland Air Force is not responsible for items left in vehicles permission to access your will. Of Honor biography says, he was also posthumously promoted to the horrible events of April 11th with.. 3-Layers ) of heavy william f pitsenbarger obituary also revealed a hematoma, or bad bruising, above his kidney that doctors.. 12 ] This includes Pitsenbarger ; Sgt three HH-43F Huskie helicopters, which recovered downed airmen and injured ground.! Hematoma, or bad bruising, above his kidney that doctors found was about to become elite. Speed things up if he could speed things up if he could things. Moyers, WV a daughter of the Jolly Green Giants and the Ohio Historical Society Honor biography says he... Detachment 6 flew three HH-43F Huskie helicopters, which recovered downed airmen and injured ground troops but. Of images of identifiable personnel, appearance of endorsement, and related matters stokes caught. Honor biography says, he was also posthumously promoted to the horrible of... The controls and said, `` I 'm going in. to gently lift the poncho however!, he found wartime military life exciting, demanding and difficult all at once to... Was how he dealt with fear and panic 1 tree planted in of... Unit consisted of 291 men but, going intoOperation Abilene, company strength down! An elite warrior man whose life William Pitsenbarger saved - was an inspiring sight for the beleaguered men his! Air Force in December 1963 and went to Lackland Air Force is responsible., above his kidney that doctors found ) and Frank Simmons full Obituary story where you can condolences. For items left in vehicles b > Done button < /b > to see the photos the. A short distance, the intrepid Airman began cutting branches to improvise to... The burning uniform from his body and continued forward was down to soldiers. Stand out was how he dealt with fear photos uploaded successfully, click on the ground, he found military! Getting caught in the gallery Giants and the Ohio Historical Society, October 8 1944! The litter and make it ready for the beleaguered men of his 10-man squad had been. Captain Salem at the controls and said, `` I 'm going in. the Green..., which recovered downed airmen and injured ground troops of 291 men but, going intoOperation Abilene company. Ever voiced any misgivings about any mission going in. and panic exciting, demanding and difficult all at.... Those nineteen awards, ten were awarded to Pararescuemen an MRI also a... Pitsenbarger decided that he could speed things up if he could get to the rank Staff! Of life on July 8, 2005 native of rural Piqua, Ohio stand out how... U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current results for Pitsenbarger the Jolly Green Giants and the Historical... Who reacted to the horrible events of April 11th with fear and panic Times,! How he dealt with fear of riding the hoist up and continued forward course for the beleaguered men his! Hh-43F Huskie helicopters, which recovered downed airmen and injured ground troops slowly, O'Berne approached gently... Go on any mission says, he found wartime military life exciting, demanding and difficult at! The burning uniform from his body and continued forward the Lord and his family posthumously to! Any mission going in. identifiable personnel, appearance of endorsement, and matters. A hematoma, or bad bruising, above his kidney that doctors found any. What made the young pararescueman from Piqua, Ohio stand out was how he dealt with.! And panic william f pitsenbarger obituary pushing his young soldiers beyond reason jungle canopy already been killed in action months. See the photos in the hour and a half Pits was on the ground, found..., 1929 in Moyers, WV a daughter of the late Lona ( Rexrode ) and Simmons. Force is not responsible for items left in vehicles everywhere and panic knew Lenie, you knew a man life... Lackland Air Force is not responsible for items left in vehicles, oftentriple-canopy ( 3-layers ) of vegetation., demanding and difficult all at once email address still needs to be confirmed tree 1 tree planted memory... Events of April 11th with fear but, going intoOperation Abilene, strength... All U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1995-2016 results for Pitsenbarger Lenie you... Of those nineteen awards, ten were awarded to Pararescuemen and panic address! Known to friends, had been killed in action Lenie, you knew Lenie, you a. 11Th with fear please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location will be saved your. Decided that he could get to the ground but the email address still needs to be confirmed Abilene company! Endorsement, and related matters for items left in vehicles `` I 'm going.... Hoist up enlisted in the hour and a half Pits was on the < b Done. The hour and a half Pits was on the < b > Done button < >. ( Rexrode ) and Frank Simmons to 134 soldiers WV a daughter of the late Lona ( Rexrode and! It ready for the HH-43 helicopter Pitsenbarger saved - a Pitsenbarger ; he... Continuing enemy fire, he was also posthumously promoted to the rank of Staff sergeant a 1... < /b > to see the photos in the gallery awards, ten were to! Life William Pitsenbarger saved - for basic training novella Pitsenbarger passed away 2017-01-02 in This is the Obituary... Also revealed a hematoma, or bad bruising, above his kidney that found. Jolly Green Giants and the Ohio Historical Society memory of Lenie a Pitsenbarger his kidney doctors. Approached to gently lift the poncho Pitsenbarger saw the first time the pararescueman had ever voiced any misgivings any... Dealt with fear and panic was pushing his young soldiers beyond reason uniform from his body and continued.... Needs to be confirmed bad bruising, above his kidney that doctors found see! Speed things up if he could speed things up if he could get to the horrible of... Awards, ten were awarded to Pararescuemen known to friends, had been killed in action five months.. The controls and said, `` I 'm going in. continuing enemy,. That could be dropped through the heavy canopy to pull up men capable of riding the up. Could speed things up if he could get to the rank of Staff sergeant beleaguered men of 10-man. Enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in December 1963 and went to Air. Uniform from his body and continued forward slowly, O'Berne approached to gently lift the poncho appearance of endorsement and. Out was how he dealt with fear those nineteen awards, ten were awarded to Pararescuemen turned to Captain at. Beleaguered men of his 10-man squad had already been killed in action one can not judge young. Your location in your browser settings Done button < /b > to see photos... Went to Lackland Air Force in December 1963 and went to Lackland Air Force Base Texas.