The only Canadian recipient since World War II, and one of only four since 1900. [2], During the Vietnam War, 248 Medals of Honor were received, 156 (62.9%) of them posthumously. Rank: Captain Conflict/Era: Vietnam War Unit/Command: 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron, Nha Trang Air Force Base, Vietnam; Military Service Branch: U.S. Air Force Medal of Honor Action Date: February 24, 1967 Medal of Honor Action Place: near Dalat, Republic of Vietnam Was the first Combat Controller to be awarded the Air Force Cross and one of two airmen to be awarded the Air Force Cross – both posthumously – during the Battle of Roberts Ridge… Upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2018… Now the first member of the Air Force to earn the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam … The unknown soldier from the Vietnam War who was buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns was authorized a Medal of Honor and in 1998 was identified as 1st Lieutenant Michael Blassie, USAF. After fighting off the enemy he sacrificed his life allowing the rest of his company to return to friendly lines while he remained alone with an injured soldier who could not be moved due to his wounds. Sacrificed his life to direct fire at the enemy at point blank range. Air Force Col. Merlyn Dethlefsen took charge of a daring raid over a North Vietnamese steel plant in 1967 to make sure the mission was a success. The movie was written and directed by Todd Robinson, an industry veteran who has been a supervising producer on the hit NBC series "Chicago P.D." He refused to be evacuated until his men were safe. Find recipients of the Purple Heart, Medal of Honor, and other military medals in our database of U.S. conflicts, including WW2, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. Evans Army Community Hospital, Ft Carson, was named after Evans. For efforts in directing an air strike on enemy forces. U.S. helicopters land under heavy sniper fire near Bong Son in South Vietnam during Operation Eagle's Claw. Risked his life to save the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers, Sacrificed his life to save the lives of several Marines by taking out an enemy bunker, Risked his own life to allow his unit to escape, Saved the life of his superior officer and allowed the other members of his patrol to escape, Risked his life to assist in the rescue of three downed aviators. The 2nd Marine Division has tested about a quarter of its 16,000 Marines and sailors for LSD since the summer. On that day, while in Hậu Nghĩa Province in the Republic of Vietnam, Sargent threw himself on two enemy hand grenades, sacrificing himself but saving the lives of two men nearby. ‘The Last Full Measure’ Follows Fight to Award Vietnam Hero the Medal of Honor, Of Course Chuck Norris Needs a Tank to Celebrate a Proper Christmas, He Wasn't Always a Sailor Man. Soldiers of the Army received the most with 161, followed by 57 to the Marines, 16 to the Navy and the remaining 14 to the Air Force.[3]. Sacrificed himself to ensure evacuation helicopters were able to withdraw his team. For defending company from an enemy grenade, Sacrificed himself to hold his company's position against the enemy allowing others to come to his aid and repel the enemy force, Sacrificed his life by manning a machine gun in an exposed position during an enemy attack, allowing others to rescue a wounded comrade, Sacrificed his life to save others by smothering a grenade with his body, Sacrificed his life to save several fellow soldiers by smothering a claymore mine with his body. For saving many lives as a medic during a number of vicious firefights. Was wounded when attempting to rescue a wounded soldier and despite his injuries, led his platoon and succeeded in destroying an enemy bunker before being killed. Assumed command of a rifle company upon death of the commander in an ambush, directed the counterattack, Endured hostile gunfire and serious injuries to save several wounded soldiers, For smothering a grenade blast with his body to protect those around him, For a series of daring and valorous actions despite severe wounds, Sacrificed his life to save the life of his passenger. 5 James McCloughan the Medal of Honor on July 31, 2017. The official website of the U.S. Air Force. Sacrificed his life by flying his aircraft dangerously slow and low to destroy enemy machine gun emplacements until his aircraft was shot down. Held his position in the face of enemy ambush despite having his lower leg blown off allowing the remainder of his outnumbered unit to move to safety, He destroyed 10 enemy bunkers and accounted for a large toll of the enemy, including two key enemy commanders, Flew multiple missions against heavy fire to evacuate 51 wounded men, Fire Support Base Tomahawk, Quảng Nam Province, Carried an explosive device away from three other Marines, Showed conspicuous leadership while organizing his unit's defense during a 34-hour enemy attack, Led his company in the decimation of a superior enemy force which left 156 dead on the battlefield, Sacrificed his life to lead his men against the enemy and personally destroyed two enemy bunkers with hand grenades, After his unit was ambushed, he assaulted the enemy forces, allowing the remainder of the unit to recover wounded and continue their advance, A Chaplain who was killed while attempting to rescue a wounded corpsman, Was killed while providing medical attention to several wounded Marines, Sacrificed his life to save several Marines by smothering a grenade with his body, Risked his life by attacking a wave of enemy forces alone to allow the rest of his platoon to escape, Risked his life to rescue several Marines and corpsman from a minefield, For assaulting an enemy position and aiding a fallen Marine despite severe wounds to himself, Killed while assaulting heavily fortified enemy bunkers, For absorbing the blast of a malfunctioning grenade in order to protect his fellow Marines, For assisting fellow prisoners while a prisoner of war, Killed while holding off an enemy ambush while wounded, so his comrades could be evacuated, For repeatedly flying into a landing zone under intense enemy fire to rescue and resupply ground troops, Sacrificed his life to save five Marines by smothering a grenade with his body, For single-handedly destroying two bunkers while under fire from a third machine gun during an ambush. Volunteered to reinforce squad of Marines who were under heavy fire. The Blassie family requested that the Medal of Honor be granted to him but the request was denied by the Department of Defense. AF.MIL delivers the latest breaking news and information on the U.S. Air Force including top stories, features, leadership, policies, and more. While wounded he secured a machine gun and fired on the enemy refusing evacuation until his injured comrades were taken. Air Force Senior Leaders. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Vargas requested that his mother's name, M. Sando Vargas, Jr., be engraved on the medal and added to the rolls. 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. For the rescue of 29 American and South Vietnamese soldiers from a heavily fortified enemy training area without any cover or gunship support. The U.S. Supreme Court has already agreed to review a different ruling on the use of military construction funds. Watch the moment President Trump bestows the Medal of Honor on retired Marine Sgt. For falling on a grenade to save his comrades and is one of five Puerto Ricans who have been posthumously presented with the Medal of Honor. The current Air Force Medal of Honor was approved in 1965. Retired Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III may become the first Black secretary of defense. For gallantry and intrepidity in defending his position and giving aid to wounded Marines, For eliminating enemy fire with available weapons and shielding his men from an enemy grenade, For attempting to rescue one of his wounded men on a Marine recon patrol, Sacrificed his life to save his fellow soldiers by smothering a grenade with his body, For efforts in retrieving wounded personnel and defending his platoon, Sacrificed his life to destroy an enemy bunker and protect several of his fellow soldiers. Rank: Lieutenant Colonel (rank at time of action: Major) Conflict/Era: Vietnam War Unit/Command: 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing; Military Service Branch: U.S. Air Force Medal of Honor Action Date: April 19, 1967 Medal of Honor Action Place: over North Vietnam, North Vietnam Sacrificed his life by smothering a mine with his body, Killed after repeatedly attacking and defeating the enemy. 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Pitsenbarger: Profile, Know A Volunteer Helping Veterans? He led the assault on several enemy gun emplacements and, single-handedly, destroyed three such positions. Single-handedly destroyed an enemy bunker, rescued a wounded comrade from under heavy fire, and attacked and destroyed two more bunkers by himself before being mortally wounded while attacking a fourth bunker. Originally posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions in 2003. Although wounded multiple times he continued to fight and refused medical aid until the enemy attack was over, Risked his life attempting to save the lives of his entrapped comrades and commanding officer, Threw himself between enemy fire and an injured fellow Marine, Covered a grenade with his helmet and body, saving eight men, Risked his life by repeatedly leading groups of men in fighting back an enemy attack. For sacrificing his life to save the other members of his aircrew. The medals created and awarded during the Vietnam War were awarded by the United States or the former government of South Vietnam to the Vietnamese military and the U.S. military. Screenshot photo. Nominate Them For A $1,000 Prize From AARP, Dental Health Is About Much More Than a Smile, New VA Rules for Specially Adapted Housing Grants, Soldier Found Dead at Fort Bragg Was a Green Beret, Biden is Facing High Hopes, Tough Choices on Border Wall, World War II Vet Beats COVID-19, Marks 104th Birthday, Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks Once Worked On This Base. The first African American recipient of the war was Milton L. Olive, III who sacrificed himself to save others by smothering a grenade with his body. Killed while defending his wounded comrades from the enemy and delivered effective suppressive fire in order to divert the Viet Cong long enough to allow the casualties to be evacuated. The battle is also referred to as the First Battle of Mo… After all wounded had been evacuated he joined another platoon and assisted in pursuing the enemy. Rank: Captain (rank at time of action: First Lieutenant; highest rank: Colonel) Conflict/Era: Vietnam War Unit/Command: 20th Special Operations Squadron, United States Air Force; Military Service Branch: U.S. Air Force Medal of Honor Action Date: November 26, 1968 Medal of Honor Action Place: near Duc Co, Republic of Vietnam Maj. John L. Canley, who as a gunny saved many lives in Vietnam… Although already wounded, he sacrificed his life to save other soldiers who were pinned down by silencing two enemy gun emplacements and diving into a third with a grenade. Placed himself between an enemy grenade and his shipmates, absorbing most of the blast fragments with his own body in order to protect his shipmates from injury and death. [4] The last actions to earn a Medal of Honor in this war were those of Bud Day, for actions as a prisoner of war from 26 August 1967 through 14 March 1973 – though some honorees (such as Leslie H. Sabo, Jr., honoured on 16 May 2012) have been cited for their Medal after Day's recognition on March 4, 1976. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded for "Heroic or meritorious achievement or service." For falling on a grenade to save his comrades. The unknown soldier from the Vietnam War who was buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns was authorized a Medal of Honor and in 1998 was identified as 1st Lieutenant Michael Blassie. U.S. Air Force Airmen First Class - William H. Pitsenbarger was posthumously presented the Medal of Honor for military valor during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam Service Medal is a U.S. Military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. AF.MIL delivers the latest breaking news and information on the U.S. Air Force including top stories, features, leadership, policies, and more. After DNA testing confirmed his identity, the remains were removed from the tomb and returned to Blassie's family, but the Medal of Honor remained as a tribute to those veterans still unknown. Learn more about this costly period and the heroes who earned the Medal of Honor. Risked his life by smothering a grenade with his own body, Threw himself on a grenade to save fellow Marines. Sacrificed his life to single-handedly repel a large enemy force from attacking through a weakened perimeter for over 1½ hours. Robin Williams landed his first big movie role as Popeye in 1980. Sacrificed himself to save others by smothering an enemy grenade with his body, For refusing evacuation while tending wounded and defending the unit's position, Risked his life to assist a group of Marines who had been attacked by a larger enemy force. 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