Steven L . Bennett Steven Logan Bennett ( April 22 , 1946 – June 29 , 1972 ) of Palestine , Texas was a United States Air Force pilot who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Vietnam War on August 8 , 1974 . Military service . Prior to entering the U . S . Air Force , Steven Bennett attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana ( now University of Louisiana at Lafayette ) in Lafayette , Louisiana ; he graduated with a degree in Aerospace Engineering . He was in ROTC and received his private pilot ' s license in 1965 . He entered the Air Force in August 1968 , and earned his pilot wings at Webb AFB , Texas in 1969 . In 1970 , he completed B - 52 bomber training course at Castle AFB , CA . He was stationed at Fairchild AFB , Washington . He flew B - 52s out of Thailand for almost a year . He then transitioned to become a Forward Air Controller ( FAC ) , and graduated from the FAC and fighter training courses at Cannon AFB , New Mexico , before reporting to Da Nang , Vietnam in April 1972 . He had only been in combat for three months before his Medal of Honor mission and had also won the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters . He was also awarded the Purple Heart and the Cheny Award . His call - sign at DaNang was Covey 87 . Bennett had recently turned 26 when he was killed . Captain Bennett was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor . Vice President Gerald Ford presented the decoration to Captain Bennett ’ s wife , Linda , and daughter , Angela , at the Blair House on August 8 , 1974 . Bennett is buried in Lafayette Memorial Cemetery at Lafayette , Louisiana . He was survived by his wife and one child . He had two brothers , David and Miles , and three sisters , Kathe , Lynne and Ardra . His mother , Edith Alice Logan Bennett , preceded him in death and his father , Elwin Bennett , died many years later in 2006 . His daughter now lives near Dallas , TX with her husband , Paul , and two children , Jake and Elizabeth . His wife , Linda Leveque Bennett Wells , died on July 11 , 2011 . Bennett ' s observer , Mike Brown , and was reunited with Bennett ' s wife and daughter in 1988 . They have since remained close and together have attended numerous dedications in Bennett ' s honor throughout the United States . Angela is a lifetime member of the OV - 10 Association located at Meacham Air Field in Fort Worth , Texas . They have acquired an OV - 10 and painted the names of both Bennett and Mike Brown on the side in memory of their last flight together . Angela was named by her father , who chose Angela Noelle , as in Christmas Angel ; she was born near Christmas . Honors . He is the namesake of the ship and his name is engraved on the Vietnam Memorial at Panel 01W - Row 051 . There have been numerous other dedications done in his honor . They range from streets being named after him to buildings , including a gymnasium and a cafeteria , a sports arena and VFW posts , and many monuments . He has been mentioned in several military history books . Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to CAPTAIN STEVEN L . BENNETT UNITED STATES AIR FORCE 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron , Pacific Air Forces . Place and date of action : Quang Tri , Republic of Vietnam , June 29 , 1972 . For service as set forth in the following Citation : Capt . Bennett was the pilot of a light aircraft flying an artillery adjustment mission along a heavily defended segment of route structure . A large concentration of enemy troops was massing for an attack on a friendly unit . Capt . Bennett requested tactical air support but was advised that none was available . He also requested artillery support but this too was denied due to the close proximity of friendly troops to the target . Capt . Bennett was determined to aid the endangered unit and elected to strafe the hostile positions . After 4 such passes , the enemy force began to retreat . Capt . Bennett continued the attack , but , as he completed his fifth strafing pass , his aircraft was struck by a surface - to - air missile , which severely damaged the left engine and the left main landing gear . As fire spread in the left engine , Capt . Bennett realized that recovery at a friendly airfield was impossible . He instructed his observer to prepare for an ejection , but was informed by the observer that his parachute had been shredded by the force of the impacting missile . Although Capt . Bennett had a good parachute , he knew that if he ejected , the observer would have no chance of survival . With complete disregard for his own life , Capt . Bennett elected to ditch the aircraft into the Gulf of Tonkin , even though he realized that a pilot of this type aircraft had never survived a ditching . The ensuing impact upon the water caused the aircraft to cartwheel and severely damaged the front cockpit , making escape for Capt . Bennett impossible . The observer successfully made his way out of the aircraft and was rescued . Capt . Bennett ' s unparalleled concern for his companion , extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty , at the cost of his life , were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U . S . Air Force . ( signed ) GERALD R . FORD