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                          Saturday 9am-4pm

                          Closed Holidays

 

 

Enlisted Air Force Cross Recipients

 


A Pararescueman near the village of Marzak in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan on 4 March 2002, Airman Cunningham was the primary Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Medic assigned to a quick reaction force tasked to recover two American servicemen evading capture in austere terrain occupied by massed Al Qaida and Taliban forces. Shortly before landing, his MH-47E Helicopter received accurate rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire, severely disabling the aircraft and causing it to crash land.  The assault force formed a hasty defense and immediately suffered three fatalities and five critical casualties.  Despite effective enemy fire, and at great risk to his own life, Airman Cunningham remained in the burning fuselage of the aircraft in order to treat the wounded.  As he moved his patients to a more secure location, mortar rounds began to impact within fifty feet of his position.  Disregarding this extreme danger, he continued the movement and exposed himself to enemy fire on seven separate occasions.  When the second casualty collection point was also compromised, in a display of uncommon valor and gallantry, Airman Cunningham braved an intense small arms and rocket propelled grenade attack while repositioning the critically wounded to a third collection point.  Even after he was mortally wounded and quickly deteriorating, he continued to direct patient movement and transferred care to another medic.A Pararescueman near the village of Marzak in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan on 4 March 2002, Airman Cunningham was the primary Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Medic assigned to a quick reaction force tasked to recover two American servicemen evading capture in austere terrain occupied by massed Al Qaida and Taliban forces. Shortly before landing, his MH-47E Helicopter received accurate rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire, severely disabling the aircraft and causing it to crash land.  The assault force formed a hasty defense and immediately suffered three fatalities and five critical casualties.  Despite effective enemy fire, and at great risk to his own life, Airman Cunningham remained in the burning fuselage of the aircraft in order to treat the wounded.  As he moved his patients to a more secure location, mortar rounds began to impact within fifty feet of his position.  Disregarding this extreme danger, he continued the movement and exposed himself to enemy fire on seven separate occasions.  When the second casualty collection point was also compromised, in a display of uncommon valor and gallantry, Airman Cunningham braved an intense small arms and rocket propelled grenade attack while repositioning the critically wounded to a third collection point.  Even after he was mortally wounded and quickly deteriorating, he continued to direct patient movement and transferred care to another medic. A Pararescueman near the village of Marzak in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan on 4 March 2002, Airman Cunningham was the primary Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Medic assigned to a quick reaction force tasked to recover two American servicemen evading capture in austere terrain occupied by massed Al Qaida and Taliban forces. Shortly before landing, his MH-47E Helicopter received accurate rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire, severely disabling the aircraft and causing it to crash land.  The assault force formed a hasty defense and immediately suffered three fatalities and five critical casualties.  Despite effective enemy fire, and at great risk to his own life, Airman Cunningham remained in the burning fuselage of the aircraft in order to treat the wounded.  As he moved his patients to a more secure location, mortar rounds began to impact within fifty feet of his position.  Disregarding this extreme danger, he continued the movement and exposed himself to enemy fire on seven separate occasions.  When the second casualty collection point was also compromised, in a display of uncommon valor and gallantry, Airman Cunningham braved an intense small arms and rocket propelled grenade attack while repositioning the critically wounded to a third collection point.  Even after he was mortally wounded and quickly deteriorating, he continued to direct patient movement and transferred care to another medic. A Pararescueman near the village of Marzak in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan on 4 March 2002, Airman Cunningham was the primary Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Medic assigned to a quick reaction force tasked to recover two American servicemen evading capture in austere terrain occupied by massed Al Qaida and Taliban forces. Shortly before landing, his MH-47E
On 11 March 1968, Sergeant Etchberger was manning a defensive position when the base was overrun by an enemy ground force.  The enemy was able to deliver sustained and withering fire directly upon this position from higher ground.  His entire crew dead or wounded, Sergeant Etchberger continued to return the enemy's fire thus denying them access to his position.  During this entire period, Sergeant Etchberger continued to direct air strikes and call for air rescue on his emergency radio, thereby enabling the air evacuation force to locate the surrounded friendly element.  When air rescue arrived, Sergeant Etchberger deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire in order to place his three surviving wounded comrades in the rescue slings permitting them to be airlifted to safety.  As Sergeant Etchberger was finally being rescued, he was fatally wounded by enemy. ground fire.  His fierce defense which culminated in the supreme sacrifice of his life, saved not only the lives of his three comrades but provided for the successful evacuation of the remaining survivors of the base.
A Pararescueman near the village of Marzak in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan on 4 March 2002, Airman Cunningham was the primary Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Medic assigned to a quick reaction force tasked to recover two American servicemen evading capture in austere terrain occupied by massed Al Qaida and Taliban forces. Shortly before landing, his MH-47E Helicopter received accurate rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire, severely disabling the aircraft and causing it to crash land.  The assault force formed a hasty defense and immediately suffered three fatalities and five critical casualties.  Despite effective enemy fire, and at great risk to his own life, Airman Cunningham remained in the burning fuselage of the aircraft in order to treat the wounded.  As he moved his patients to a more secure location, mortar rounds began to impact within fifty feet of his position.  Disregarding this extreme danger, he continued the movement and exposed himself to enemy fire on seven separate occasions.  When the second casualty collection point was also compromised, in a display of uncommon valor and gallantry, Airman Cunningham braved an intense small arms and rocket propelled grenade attack while repositioning the critically wounded to a third collection point.  Even after he was mortally wounded and quickly deteriorating, he continued to direct patient movement and transferred care to another medic. A Pararescueman near the village of Marzak in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan on 4 March 2002, Airman Cunningham was the primary Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Medic assigned to a quick reaction force tasked to recover two American servicemen evading capture in austere terrain occupied by massed Al Qaida and Taliban forces. Shortly before landing, his MH-47E Helicopter received accurate rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire, severely disabling the aircraft and causing it to crash land.  The assault force formed a hasty defense and immediately suffered three fatalities and five critical casualties.  Despite effective enemy fire, and at great risk to his own life, Airman Cunningham remained in the burning fuselage of the aircraft in order to treat the wounded.  As he moved his patients to a more secure location, mortar rounds began to impact within fifty feet of his position.  Disregarding this extreme danger, he continued the movement and exposed himself to enemy fire on seven separate occasions.  When the second casualty collection point was also compromised, in a display of uncommon valor and gallantry, Airman Cunningham braved an intense small arms and rocket propelled grenade attack while repositioning the critically wounded to a third collection point.  Even after he was mortally wounded and quickly deteriorating, he continued to direct patient movement and transferred care to another medic.