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. Three of the men died in Vietnam and one in the Gulf War. The rescue effort took on new efficiency with an experienced man on the ground. Gallant, they were true. Meanwhile, Alpha and Bravo Companies poised themselves for a rescue attempt at daylight. The Viet Cong withdrew and we called in artillery fire. On Dec. 8, 2000, the Medal of Honor was presented posthumously to A1C William H. Pitsenbarger in a ceremony at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, not far from his hometown of Piqua. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Novella Pitsenbarger passed away 2017-01-02 in This is the full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories. Few witnesses remained of the young PJs service and sacrifice. He grew up in Piqua, Ohio, a small town near Dayton. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? which pertains to intellectual property restrictions (e.g., copyright and
Pandemonium erupted among the American soldiers as they clamored for any semblance of shelter. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Artie Eugene Grose, 88, of Edmond, passed away Sunday, January 29, 2017, at the Ansted Center in Ansted. After arriving on the scene, OBeirne learned of Pitsenbargers death. His rifle empty, Sergeant Robinson again ignored his wounds to attack. For Mr. and Mrs. William Pitsenbarger, the September 22, 1966 visit to the home of America's military men and women had all the elements of culture shock. Two Air Force Huskies were quickly airborne and moving east to find and extract the wounded soldiers of Charlie Company. Amid a flood of memories, an invocation by the Chief of the Air Force Chaplain Service, and remarks by the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Secretary of the Air Force the Honorable F. Whitten Peters stepped to the podium. 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. You may print and distribute in quantity for all non-profit, educational purposes. 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. The ceremony will be held in the Museum's Modern Flight Hangar at 2:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Bailey Zechar Funeral Home . As Pits' Huskie began the approach, a plan for extracting the wounded man without detonating other mines in the field had to be devised. 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. His decisions were deliberate, calculated, and carried out with the highest degree of professionalism. Sergeant Robinson ripped the burning uniform from his body and continued forward. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. He was born June 17, 1933, in Moyers, WV and was the son of the late Henry M. Pitsenbarger, Sr., and Nora Alice (Smith) Pitsenbarger. OperationAbilenebegan on April 10, 1966Easter Sunday. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Try again. But both were proud." Pitsenbarger was the first Air Force enlisted man to earn the Medal of Honor since the U.S. Air Force was established as a separate service in 1947. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Ohio Miami County Covington OBITUARY Shirley A Pitsenbarger December 29, 1932 - February 8, 2023. The first explosion came from American artillery fired in support ofOperation Abilene. Notice:Visitors may be filmed, photographed or recorded by the U.S. Air Force for educational and promotional uses, including for posting on public websites and social media. trademark, including the use of official emblems, insignia, names and slogans), warnings
In fact, the letters and pictures he sent back seemed to indicate that Airman Pitsenbarger was actually having a good time at the Air Base a short distance from the South Vietnamese capital city of Saigon. The power and rpm shot over the red lines and the helicopter lurched forward and upout of control. PIQUA - On December 8, 2000 a very important ceremony was held at the Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton. - Diaper bags "I've never heard such screaming in my life. Then Captain Bachman pulled back a short distance to transfer the patient to a folding litter while Pedro 73 went in to pick up a second wounded soldier. 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 . This browser does not support getting your location. The Huskie was the first chopper to land and O'Berne moved among the dead to find and load three wounded infantrymen. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27881350/william-franklin-pitsenbarger. Pitsenbarger Medal of Honor Ceremony. one moves westward towards Saigon. At six feet, three inches tall he was an inspiring sight for the beleaguered men of his platoon. Irene Pitsenbarger may have thought briefly about the many times her young son had given her reason for fright. 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. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in December 1963 and went to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas for basic training. Another Viet Cong bullet hit the intrepid soldier in the leg. William H. Pitsenbarger is killed in action. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Days later in retrospect, he added, "We were in the fight of our lives, and I just couldn't understand why anybody would put himself in this grave danger if he didn't have to.". 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. [11][12] Retha Mae (Simmons) Pitsenbarger, 90, of Franklin, WV and formerly Moyers, WV passed away Friday, January 17, 2020 at Pendleton Manor. "It was horrible," said Pfc Ronald Haley, as he stood in the tiny clearing blasted from the jungle so that the dead and wounded could be evacuated. In addition all bags are subject to search and may be placed through an X-Ray machine. Along with Pitsenbarger, the men honored on the sign are: Msgt. Even without looking the young infantry sergeant knew what had happened. he attended the fire-fighters course for the HH-43 helicopter. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Even as the enemy fire continued to scorch the area, he moved among the casualties to tend the wounded and administer life-saving medical attention. Plant a tree in memory of Lenie An environmentally friendly option Plant a tree 1 tree planted in memory of Lenie A Pitsenbarger. They had one child: Sarah F. Pitsenbarger. Try again later. 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). Pararescueman William H. Pitsenbarger flew more than 250 rescue missions during the Vietnam War. After high school, he worked as a stockboy at a Kroger grocery store, but he left to join the U.S. Air . Weapons are not permitted including pocket knives and firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons. Along with the being the recipient of the Medal of Honor (posthumously) he has been honored several times. 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. Airman Pitsenbarger exposed himself to almost certain death by staying on the ground, and perished while saving the lives of wounded infantrymen. "After a while," Nolen said, "heavy fire started coming in. At noon sniper fire began. With complete disregard for personal safety, Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to ride a hoist more than one hundred feet through the jungle, to the ground. File: Medal of Honor presented to William H. Pitsenbarger's parents 2000-12-08.jpg. The man had lost his foot when he stepped on a mine and was trapped inside a maze of old and unstable explosive devices. Little did he know how expensive that price was about to become. Moments later a stokes litter was being lowered to the ground. He had enlisted in the Air Force and would soon be boarding a train for San Antonio to begin his training. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 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. Olly Richards NME. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. When Airman Pitsenbarger got orders for service in the war zone in August 1965 he had only a little more than a year remaining in his 4-year Air Force enlistment. William "Virgil" Pitsenbarger, age 89, of Franklin, WV and formerly Moyers, WV passed away Monday, February 20, 2017 at Pendleton Manor. Arrangements by Seals-Campbell Funeral Home, 815-795-5151, www.sealscampbell.com Published. ). Pits' solution? Two more rounds struck flesh, ripping into Sergeant Robinson's chest and draining what little strength remained in his broken body. 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. This allowed the rescue team to recover 4-5 wounded men with each in and out trip of the helicopters. Shirley A. Pitsenbarger age 90, of Versailles passed away at 9:16 pm Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at her residence. She was born October 28, 1929 in Moyers, WV a daughter of the late Lona (Rexrode) and Frank Simmons. According to members of his squadron, Bill enjoyed participating in flights to treat patients at a leper colony in Viet Cong controlled territory. Once he was lowered from a helicopter to rescue a South Vietnamese soldier in a burning mine field. In this first part of the fight that lasted from 45 minutes to an hour, we took quite a few casualties. The selfless words, "That Others May Live," fueled every movement that Pitsenbarger made throughout the ferocious struggle and would enshrine his name among the pantheon of immortal American heroes. William Pitsenbarger. His commander, Major Maurice Kessler, called him "One of a special breed. - Strollers William McDaniel II of Greenville, Ohio; and Airman 1st Class James Pleiman of Russia, Ohio. He wanted to enlist in the Army when he was junior high, but his parents did not allow him. He was born on May 18, 2019 at Mayo Clinic Health Systems - Eau Claire, the son of Ronald Pitsenbarger, Jr. and Ann (Moyer) Nelson. Civilian authorities have also honored his name. PIQUA Thursday evening was the homecoming celebration William H. Pitsenbarger never got after his sacrifices during the Vietnam War. Hidden by the dense jungle, the enemy was able to hide and still place effective sniper fire on the Americans. In the Spring of 1962, William Pitsenbarger graduated from high school. 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. No longer could he hear the sounds of William Pitsenbarger's M-16. He was credited with saving nine lives. Now, as he led his fire-team through the dense jungles of Phuoc Tuy province, he recalled what he had written home in his most recent letter"The price we pay for freedom is never cheap." Young William had come home after his extensive training a grown man, confident that he could accomplish any task and fulfill any demands his job might require. In one lifeless hand Pits still held his M-16 rifle. Pick him up, and then you can lift me up." His name can be found on Panel 06E Line 102 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Air Force Huskies could hover over the last layers of the jungle foliage and winch a wire-mesh Stokes Litterto those on the ground. 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. Edison Community College in Piqua, Ohio, awards the Pitsenbarger Scholarship to two full-time students per year who can show financial need. Mildred Pitsenbarger Obituary With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Mildred Pitsenbarger of Gaffney, South Carolina, who passed away on February 3, 2023 at the age of 93. 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. Pedro 97 hovered in the area as darkness fell, then returned to Bien Hoa to wait out the night. He was killed. 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