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Air Force Medal of honor

 

 

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
The Medal of Honor is the highest U.S. military decoration awarded to individuals who, while serving in the U.S. armed services, have distinguished themselves by conspicuous gallantry and courage at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty. Each recommendation for this decoration must incontestably prove that the act of bravery or self-sacrifice involved obvious risk of life and, if the risk hadn't been taken, there would be no
just grounds for censure. The award is made in the name of congress and is presented by the President of the United States. Originally authorized by congress in 1861, it's sometimes called the "Congressional Medal of Honor."

Medal of Honor Ribbon

 

RECIPIENTS

Staff Sergeant Maynard H. "Snuffy" Smith
 Technical Sergeant Forrest L. Vosler
 Staff Sergeant Archibald Mathies
 Staff Sergeant Henry Erwin
 Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger
 Airman First Class John L. Levitow

 

Sergeant Maynard H. "Snuffy" Smith

  Sgt Smith received his Medal of Honor for action over enemy-occupied
  Europe on May 1, 1943. When the aircraft on which he was a gunner
  was hit by enemy fire and set ablaze, the sergeant threw exploding
  ammunition overboard, manned workable guns until German fighters
  were driven off, administered first aid to a wounded comrade, and,
  wrapping himself in a protective cloth, completely extinguished the
  fire by hand.

 

Technical Sergeant Forrest L. Vosler

  While flying over Bremen, Germany, on December 20, 1943, TSgt
  Vosler took heroic action beyond the call of duty. When the aircraft in
  which he was serving as radio operator and gunner was severely
  damaged by antiaircraft fire, he was painfully wounded in the legs
  and face. He initially volunteered to be thrown out of the aircraft to
  lighten the plane. Remaining with the aircraft, he managed to operate
  the radio and continued to send distress signals until the plane was
  ditched. Upon ditching, he saved the wounded tail gunner from
  certain death.

 

Staff Sergeant Archibald Mathies

  SSgt Mathies earned his Medal of Honor while on active duty over
  occupied Europe with the Eighth Air Force's 351st Bomb Group on
  February 20, 1944. When the aircraft on which he was serving as
  engineer was severely damaged, the copilot killed, and the pilot
  wounded, he managed to fly the plane with the aid of the navigator.
  On the third attempt at landing, the plane crashed and all three were
  killed.

 

Staff Sergeant Henry E. "Red" Erwin

  SSgt Erwin received the Medal of Honor for heroic action over
  Koriyama, Japan on April 12, 1945. As he was launching phosphorus
  bombs, one proved faulty and exploded inside the B-29 plane.
  Realizing that the aircraft and crew would be lost if the flaming bomb
  remained in the plane, he disregarded severe burning of his hands,
  carried the bomb to the copilot's window and threw it out.

 

Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger

  A1C Bill Pitsenbarger was a pararescueman on a mission near Cam
  My, Republic of Vietnam, 11 April 1966.  With complete disregard for
  personal safety, he rode a hoist more than 100 feet to the ground. 
  As each of nine casualties he evacuated  that day was recovered,
  Airman Pitsenbarger refused to leave in order to get more wounded
  soldiers to safety. When the enemy assault began, he braved intense
  gunfire to gather and distribute vitally needed arms and ammunition.
  He was wounded three times, despite his wounds, he fought on,
  simultaneously treating as many wounded as possible.  Airman
  Pitsenbarger exposed himself to almost certain death by staying on
  the ground, and perished while saving the lives of the wounded
  infantrymen.

 

Airman First Class John L. Levitow

  On February 24, 1969, A1C Levitow was serving as loadmaster when
  his aircraft was severely damaged by 82mm mortar fire over Long
  Binh, South Vietnam. Suffering from more than 40 shrapnel wounds in
  his back and legs, he observed a magnesium flare, thrown by the
  mortar blast, amid a jumble of spilled ammunition canisters. Despite
  loss of blood and partial loss of feeling in his right leg, A1C Levitow
  threw himself on the deadly device, hugged it close, dragged himself
  to the open cargo door, and hurled the flare through it. The flare
  ignited in the air in almost the same instant. His selfless act saved
  the crew and aircraft from almost certain death and destruction. 

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.