William "Virgil" Pitsenbarger, age 89, of Franklin, W.Va., and formerly Moyers, W.Va., passed away Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, at Pendleton Manor. I saw another lieutenant running from tree to tree looking for Viet Cong positions. - Water bottles (clear, sealed bottle, up to 20 oz.) He volunteered to ride a hoist over 100 feet through the jungle and to the jungle floor. How bad was it on the ground? At six feet, three inches tall he was an inspiring sight for the beleaguered men of his platoon. For those whose lives he touched, he will never be forgotten. Because of the thick, triple-canopy jungle, Army medevacs could not come in to retrieve the woundedthere was simply no place to land. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. 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. - Food and Soda Drinks You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. - Backpacks When the young PJs feet touched the ground, he went into immediate action. He continued to work as a stock boy at the local Kroger supermarket, all the while thirsting for more adventure. 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. PIQUA - On December 8, 2000 a very important ceremony was held at the Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton. Fred Navarro, a man whose life William Pitsenbarger saved -. An MRI also revealed a hematoma, or bad bruising, above his kidney that doctors found. In the quiet dignity of the halls of the Pentagon, the senior Pitsenbarger remembered how proud he had been of his son. Further, any commercial or non-commercial use of this photograph or any other OperationAbilenebegan on April 10, 1966Easter Sunday. When he was 17, he wanted to drop out of schoolPiqua Central High Schoolto become a Green Beret. 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. "The mother was brave. During the rescue operation, he cared for and prepared the casualties for evacuation, and insured that the recovery operation continued in a smooth and orderly fashion. During the brightest day, soldiers moving acrossthe jungle floor can almost feel that they are moving about at night. More than 30 years later, Pentagon investigator Scott Huffman probes a Medal of Honor request for Pits made by his family and his friends . Brother of Frances Winifred McMaster and Loren Elwood Pitsenbarger. Then, he joined the others with a rifle to hold off the Viet Cong. 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. 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. Along with the being the recipient of the Medal of Honor (posthumously) he has been honored several times. He came there to save lives and that was what he was doing., -Fred Navarro, a man whose life William Pitsenbarger saved -, (Photocourtesy of the Piqua Public Library History Department). 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. Pitsenbarger, a Piqua native, was born to William F. and Irene Pitsenbarger on July 8, 1944. File: Medal of Honor presented to William H. Pitsenbarger's parents 2000-12-08.jpg. Airman Pitsenbarger stayed behind, on the ground, to perform medical duties. When he found the bodies of American boys that could not be saved, he gathered weapons and ammunition to distribute among those who could still fight. Father of William Hart Pitsenbarger cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Novella Pitsenbarger passed away 2017-01-02 in This is the full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Ohio Miami County Covington He loved to go to concerts and watch fireworks. Son of John Walter Pitsenbarger and Freda Blanche Pitsenbarger 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. Irene Pitsenbarger may have thought briefly about the many times her young son had given her reason for fright. 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. Moments later a stokes litter was being lowered to the ground. [13], Airlift/Tanker Association Hall of Fame Award for 2012.[14]. The father shed tears. During his basic training in early 1963, he volunteered for Pararescue. On October 28, 1961, Arvella married Ralph Pitsenbarger, who preceded her . 0 cemeteries found in Covington, Miami County, Ohio, USA. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27881350/william-franklin-pitsenbarger. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. They forbade it, but after graduating in 1962 he enlisted in the Air Force. The first explosion came from American artillery fired in support ofOperation Abilene. William Pitsenbarger's Background A1C Pitsenbarger, an Ohio native, is one of three Medal of Honor Recipients from Piqua, Ohio. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Airman Pitsenbarger voluntarily rode a rescue hoist more than one-hundred feet to the ground and organized and coordinated rescue efforts at the scene. Just one month prior to the Easter Sunday beginning ofOperation Abilene, Major Bernard Francis Fisher became the first person to earn the newly designed Air Force Medal of Honor. "I've never heard such screaming in my life. [1][3], He is buried in Miami Memorial Park Cemetery Covington, Ohio. In the years that followed the 1966 presentation of the Air Force Cross to Mr. and Mrs. Pitsenbarger just five months after the death of their son, the name WilliamPitsPitsenbarger became synonymous with the proud traditions of sacrifice and service of the Air Force Pararescuemen. Iowa Death Records, 1904-1942 from FamilySearch/free with registration; includes images of the death certificates For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. 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 . With complete disregard for personal safety, Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to ride a hoist more than one hundred feet through the jungle, to the ground. Drag images here or select from your computer for William Franklin Pitsenbarger memorial. It was Spring 1966, during a rescue mission that Pitsenbarger was offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of a combat zone heavily under fire, but he chose to stay behind to save and defend the lives of his fellow soldiers before making the ultimate sacrifice in the bloodiest battle of the war. William "Virgil" Pitsenbarger, age 89, of Franklin, WV and formerly Moyers, WV passed away Monday, February 20, 2017 at Pendleton Manor. Their sonthat's what this was all about. 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. Detachment 6 consisted of five aircrews that flew three HH-43F Kaman Huskie helicopters. For the first time, the senior Pitsenbarger began to worry about the risks inherent in his son's military specialty. The helicopter was forced to abandon recovery efforts to make an emergency landing at a nearby airstrip. In the hour and a half Pits was on the ground, he was everywhere. Of the 134 soldiers in Charlie Company at the beginning ofOperation Abilene, there were 106 casualties. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. So thick is the top layer, often rising over 150 feet upwards, that sunlight never reaches the vegetation at ground level. Another Viet Cong bullet hit the intrepid soldier in the leg. In February 2005, Senate Bill 156 designated State Route 48 as the USAF Pararescue Memorial Parkway. This action earned him the Airman's Medal and the Republic of Vietnam's Medal of Military Merit and Gallantry Cross with Bronze Palm.[4]. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. The recommendation for William Pitsenbarger's Medal of Honor was downgraded to the Air Force Cross. - Service animals Ranging in age from 19-21, most had never witnessed such horror firsthand. 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. Detachment 6 flew three HH-43F Huskie helicopters, which recovered downed airmen and injured ground troops. FREEAdmission & Parking, Sometimes, awards and decorations are presented posthumously. Once the man was airborne the crew of Pedro 73 expected their pararescueman to ride the penetrator back up to his waiting chopper. Mr. Pitsenbarger graduated from Franklin High School in 1952. 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. His name can be found on Panel 06E Line 102 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. - Strollers 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. 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. It would be best if she did not know that her only son would be performing some of the most dangerous missions faced by any young man in a combat zone. The nearest clearing was 4 miles away. "I Couldn't Believe That Anybody Was Brave Enough, Or Crazy Enough". Then, as the Huskie lifted off, O'Berne remained on the ground to treat wounded and load them on the Army Chinook. Pits' solution? He had been in combat in both World War II and Korea.". On March 7th Pits' aircrew flew on a mission to rescue a wounded South Vietnamese soldier who had walked into an old minefield while fighting a fire. Two men were killed, twelve wounded, and the tall sergeant from Cicero, Illinois set his men to the task of clearing a landing zone for medevac choppers to extract the casualties. On December 8, 2000, an impressive ceremony was held at Wright-Patterson AFB in Pits' home state of Ohio. ", Pitsenbarger completed more than 250 missions, including one in which he hung from an HH-43's cable to rescue a wounded South Vietnamese soldier from a burning minefield. Pitsenbarger was born in 1944 and grew up in Piqua, Ohio, a small town near Dayton. File; File history; File usage on Commons; Metadata; Size of this preview: 800 525 pixels. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. When Pitsenbarger reached the wounded soldiers, he organized their rescue and prepared for them to be transferred to get to the helicopters. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. The Air Force rescue craft with their twin rotors was not as trim in appearance as the "Dustoffs" used by the Army for evacuating their own wounded. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Verify and try again. This electronic book is available for free download and printing from www.homeofheroes.com. The power and rpm shot over the red lines and the helicopter lurched forward and upout of control. You may print and distribute in quantity for all non-profit, educational purposes. Airman Pitsenbarger exposed himself to almost certain death by staying on the ground, and perished while saving the lives of wounded infantrymen. He was leaving that very night. During the Vietnam War, the United States Air Force awarded its second-highest award, the Air Force Cross, to nineteen enlisted airmen. At Stead AFB, Nevada, he completed the combat survival course, at Elgin AFB in Florida he attended the Tropical Survival School, and at Albrook AFB, C.Z. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. She was a homemaker. ). Try again later. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. When his basic training was complete, he volunteered for Air Force Pararescue duty. He loved to help and bless anybody he could. [3] Pitsenbarger received the Air Force Cross on June 30, 1966. Weapons, https://www.dimoc.mil/resources/limitations. For the next hour and a half, Pitsenbarger tended to the wounded soldiers, hacking splints out of snarled vines and building improvised stretchers out of saplings. After he graduated in 1962, an Air Force recruiter inspired him to sign up. Airman First Class Pitsenbarger distinguished himself by extreme valor on 11 April 1966 near Cam My, Republic of Vietnam, while assigned as a Pararescue Crew Member, Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace . The surrounded Americans fought for hours and sustained several casualties. Pits, as the Airman from Piqua, Ohio came to be called, was a happy and likable young man. May 2, 1928 - August 21, 2021. Pitsenbarger, a Piqua native, was born to William F. and Irene Pitsenbarger on July 8, 1944. As the enemy pulled back from the surrounded remainder of Charlie Company, in the total darkness of the jungle, civilian women and children under Viet Cong control slipped through the underbrush to recover the VC dead and wounded. Sporadic sniper fire picked at the men of Charlie, 2/16th throughout the day, but no one could have predicted how intense the enemy fire would become as morning gave way to afternoon. The highway runs near the hometowns of four pararescuemen who died in service to their country. Meanwhile, Alpha and Bravo Companies poised themselves for a rescue attempt at daylight. We have set your language to At the same time, when things were not quiet, Pits was great to have around, especially if you were a downed airman alone in enemy-controlled jungle or a wounded soldier in the field. She was born October 28, 1929 in Moyers, WV a daughter of the late Lona (Rexrode) and Frank Simmons. Sorry! They were also dedicated to saving lives, not only during times of war but also in peace. Pitsenbarger was killed by Viet Cong snipers later that night. - Coolers William McDaniel II of Greenville, Ohio; and Airman 1st Class James Pleiman of Russia, Ohio. As a junior in high school, he tried to enlist in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret, but his parents refused to give their permission. Many of the wounded were yelling for their mothers. At 3 o'clock on the afternoon of April 11th, the call for help arrived at the headquarters of the 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Bien Hoa. In the darkness of the early morning, Army Engineers slipped into the jungle to clear a landing place for the helicopters that would come with the dawn to extract the survivors and the bodies of the dead. Sidney Daily News. The firefight was at Cam My, in the Republic of Vietnam, about 35 miles east of Saigon. Quickly the total darkness of the jungle night was falling across the area as the two men lay in their position returning fire on the enemy. Standing to the side to witness the events that were about to unfold was Ohio Senator Frank Lausche. In addition several buildings have been named in his honor including William H. Pitsenbarger Dining Hall, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; William H. Pitsenbarger Professional Military Education Center, Beale Air Force Base, California; William H. Pitsenbarger Airman Leadership School, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; Pitsenbarger Hall, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas and Pitsenbarger Fitness Center, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Airman Pitsenbarger, an Air Force Pararescue Crew Member, had died in Vietnam decades earlier on April 11, 1966 while rescuing wounded soldiers. 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 . He trained with members of the Army at Fort Benning, Georgia to earn his jump wings. William Hart "Bill" Pitsenbarger was born in Piqua, Ohio on July 8, 1944, but he was destined to leave the small town. Permitted Items: The roadway honors four local USAF Pararescuemen who died in battle. OBITUARY Floyd "Bear" Pitsenbarger October 5, 1931 - January 2, 2017. Pitsenbarger received orders to go to Okinawa, but requested his orders be changed to go to Vietnam. Jump to navigation Jump to search. He served as a member of the 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Bien Hoa, near Saigon. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Realizing the two wounded men were dangerously exposed to continued enemy fire, Robinson ignored the whine of deadly missiles around him to rush into the open and drag the two wounded men to safety. Arvella M. "Sis" Pitsenbarger, age 88, of Franklin, WV, passed away on Sunday, April 11, 2021 at Pendleton Manor in Franklin, WV. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Pararescueman William H. Pitsenbarger flew more than 250 rescue missions during the Vietnam War.

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