The Last Stand of William H. Pitsenbarger

On April 11, 1966, the Joint Rescue Center dispatched two Huskie helicopters from Detachment 6 to rescue several wounded Army soldiers pinned down in a fierce battle near Cam My, approximately 35 miles (56 km) east of Saigon. Among the rescuers was William H. Pitsenbarger, a U.S. Air Force pararescueman. Upon arrival at the ambush site, Pitsenbarger was lowered through the trees to the ground, where he immediately began treating the wounded, helping each to be lifted up to the helicopter by cable. After successfully evacuating six injured soldiers to an aid station, the two helicopters returned for a second rescue run.

As one of the helicopters lowered its litter basket back down, allowing Pitsenbarger to load more casualties, it came under a burst of enemy small-arms fire. The helicopter’s engine started to lose power, and the pilot, facing immediate danger, realized he needed to leave the area quickly. Instead of boarding the litter basket to escape, Pitsenbarger chose to stay with the 20 Army infantrymen who remained on the ground, signaling a “wave-off” to the helicopter, which then flew to safety. The helicopters, under intense mortar and small-arms fire, were unable to return to extract him.

For the next hour and a half, Pitsenbarger continued to aid the wounded soldiers, improvising splints from tangled vines and creating makeshift stretchers from saplings. When the soldiers began running low on ammunition, he collected rounds from the fallen and distributed them to the men still defending the perimeter. Taking up a rifle himself, Pitsenbarger joined them in holding off the Viet Cong forces. Tragically, he was killed by enemy snipers later that night. When his body was recovered the next day, he was found gripping a rifle in one hand and a medical kit in the other—a symbol of his relentless dedication to his comrades.

Although Pitsenbarger did not survive, his bravery contributed to the survival of nearly 60 other men. For his heroism, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2000, elevating the recognition of his sacrifice beyond his initial Air Force Cross.