"We don't go to war to occupy and take over and dominate; we've gone to war to liberate." (Video interview, 52:49)

Joseph R. Pitts

Joseph Pitts circa 1964 [detail] War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Air Force Unit: 99th Bomber Wing Service Location: United States; Vietnam

The son of an army chaplain who served in World War II under General Douglas MacArthur and then became a missionary, Joseph Pitts understood early in life the value of having a mission. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1963 and became an Electronic Warfare officer, flying 116 combat missions in Vietnam. Joseph Pitts was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1996, representing Pennsylvania's Sixteenth District.