William H . Pitsenbarger William Hart Pitsenbarger ( July 8 , 1944 – April 11 , 1966 ) was a United States Air Force Pararescueman who gave his life aiding and defending a unit of soldiers pinned down by an enemy assault in Vietnam . He was initially posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross , which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor . He was the first enlisted recipient of the Air Force Cross medal , receiving the award in 1966 . Biography . Flying on almost 300 rescue missions in Vietnam , Bill Pitsenbarger risked his life almost daily during the war rescuing downed soldiers and fliers . On April 11 , 1966 , the 21 - year - old , known as " Pits " to his friends , was killed while defending some of his wounded comrades . For his bravery and sacrifice , he was posthumously awarded the nation ' s highest military decorations , the Medal of Honor and the Air Force Cross , becoming the first enlisted airman to receive the medals posthumously . Pitsenbarger was born in 1944 and grew up in Piqua , Ohio , a small town near Dayton . When Bill was a junior in high school , he tried to enlist in the Army as a Green Beret , but his parents refused to give their permission . After he graduated from high school , he decided to join the Air Force , and on New Year ' s Eve 1962 , he was on a train bound for basic training in San Antonio . After completing pararescue training , Bill received orders in 1965 to report to Detachment 6 , 38th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon . His unit was composed of five aircrews that flew three HH - 43 F Kaman Huskie helicopters , His commander , Maj . Maurice Kessler , called him " One of a special breed . Alert and always ready to go on any mission . " On April 11 , 1966 , the Joint Rescue Center dispatched two Huskies from Detachment 6 to extract a half - dozen or more Army casualties pinned down in a battle near Cam My , a few miles east of Saigon . 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 . After six wounded men had been flown to an aid station , the two Air Force helicopters returned for their second load . 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 . When its engine began to lose power , the pilot realized he had to get the helicopter away from the area as soon as possible . Instead of climbing into the litter basket so he could leave with the helicopter , Pitsenbarger elected to remain with the Army troops under enemy attack and he gave a " wave - off " to the helicopter which flew away to safety . With heavy mortar and small - arms fire , the helicopters couldn ' t return to rescue the rescuer . For the next hour and a half , Pitsenbarger attended to wounded soldiers , hacking splints out of snarled vines and building improvised stretchers out of saplings . When the others began running low on ammunition , he gathered ammunition from the dead and distributed them to those still alive . Then , he joined the others with a rifle to hold off the Viet Cong . Pitsenbarger was killed by Viet Cong snipers later that night . When his body was recovered the next day , one hand still held a rifle and the other clutched a medical kit . Although Pitsenbarger didn ' t escape alive , nine other men did , partially thanks to his courage and their devotion to duty . 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 . During the same ceremony he was also posthumously promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant . The audience included battle survivors , hundreds of pararescue airmen , a congressional representative and the Air Force chief of staff . He is buried in Miami Memorial Park Cemetery Covington , Ohio . His grave can be found in plot 43 - D , grave # 2 . Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States of America , authorized by Act of Congress , March 3 , 1963 has awarded in the name of the Congress the Medal of Honor posthumously to : A1C WILLIAM H . PITSENBARGER UNITED STATES AIR FORCE 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 : Rank and organization : Airman First Class , U . S . Air Force , Detachment 6 , 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron , Bien Hoa Air Base , Republic of Vietnam . Place and date : Near Cam My , April 11 , 1966 Entered service at : Piqua , Ohio Born : July 8 , 1944 , Piqua , Ohio Citation : Airman First Class Pitsenbarger distinguished himself by extreme valor on April 11 , 1966 near Cam My , Republic of Vietnam , while assigned as a Pararescue Crew Member , Detachment 6 , 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron . 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 . With complete disregard for personal safety , Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to ride a hoist more than one hundred feet through the jungle , to the ground . 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 . Through his personal efforts , the evacuation of the wounded was greatly expedited . As each of the nine casualties evacuated that day were recovered , Pitsenbarger refused evacuation in order to get one more wounded soldier to safety . After several pick - ups , one of the two rescue helicopters involved in the evacuation was struck by heavy enemy ground fire and was forced to leave the scene for an emergency landing . Airman Pitsenbarger stayed behind , on the ground , to perform medical duties . Shortly thereafter , the area came under sniper and mortar fire . During a subsequent attempt to evacuate the site , American forces came under heavy assault by a large Viet Cong force . When the enemy launched the assault , the evacuation was called off and Airman Pitsenbarger took up arms with the besieged infantrymen . He courageously resisted the enemy , braving intense gunfire to gather and distribute vital ammunition to American defenders . 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 return fire whenever he could , during which time , he was wounded three times . Despite his wounds , he valiantly fought on , simultaneously treating as many wounded as possible . In the vicious fighting which followed , the American forces suffered 80 percent casualties as their perimeter was breached , and airman Pitsenbarger was finally fatally wounded . Airman Pitsenbarger exposed himself to almost certain death by staying on the ground , and perished while saving the lives of wounded infantrymen . His bravery and determination exemplify the highest professional standards and traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself , his unit , and the United States Air Force . Honors and awards . William Pitsenbarger was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant . The United States Navy Container Ship MV A1C William H . Pitsenbarger ( T - AK 4638 ) was christened in his honor . The ship will preposition Air Force ammunition at sea near potential war or contingency sites . In addition several buildings have been named in his honor including William H . Pitsenbarger Dining Hall , Wright - Patterson AFB , Ohio ; William H . Pitsenbarger Professional Military Education Center , Beale AFB , California ; William H . Pitsenbarger Airman Leadership School , Spangdahlem Air Base , Germany ; Pitsenbarger Hall , Randolph AFB , Texas and Pitsenbarger Fitness Center , Sheppard AFB , Texas . His name can be found on Panel 06E Line 102 of the Vietnam Wall . Civilian authorities have also honored his name . The city of Piqua , Ohio , renamed a recreational park ( which includes the municipal swimming pool ) the " Pitsenbarger Sports Complex . " The state of Ohio designated state route 48 as the " U . S . A . F . Pararescue Memorial Highway . " The highway runs near the hometowns of four pararescuemen who died in service to their country . This includes Pitsenbarger ; Sgt . Jim Locker of Sidney , Ohio ; Master Sgt . William McDaniel II of Greenville , Ohio ; and Airman 1st Class James Pleiman of Russia , Ohio . In addition to being designated Main Street through the city of Dayton — where the Wright Brothers designed their airplane — state route 48 also runs along Miami Memorial Park north of Covington , Ohio , where all four are buried . Edison Community College in Piqua , Ohio , awards the Pitsenbarger Scholarship to two full - time students per year who can show financial need . The drill team of the AFJROTC unit at Martinsburg High School , Martinsburg WV is known as the Pitsenbarger Rifles . The Community College of the Air Force ( CCAF ) awards a $ 500 Pitsenbarger Scholarship to the top 5 % of each graduating class that is currently enrolled in a Bachelors program and submits a competitive award nomination package .