Airmen recognize impact of enlisted heritage

The Air Force Cross is awarded to U.S. and Foreign military personnel and civilians who have displayed extraordinary heroism in one of the following situations: while engaged in action against a U.S. enemy, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with a foreign force, or while serving with a Friendly nation engaged in armed conflict against a force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The Air Force Cross is awarded when the heroic actions fall just short of warranting the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Prior to 1960, when Congress established the Air Force Cross
enlisted men were decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross for
heroic actions. In the Vietnam era, countless Airman performed brave
acts which were above and beyond the call of duty; however, of the
enlisted airmen, only 21 were awarded the Air Force Cross. Since
1975, only three Airman have earned the award, bringing the total to
24 recipients. The following section consists of brief, chronological
accounts of these airmen and the heroic events which led to their
decoration.

RECIPIENTS

Airman First Class William A. Robinson
Airman Third Class Arthur N. Black
Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger
Airman Second Class Duane D. Hackney
Sergeant Russell M. Hunt
Staff Sergeant Eugene L. Clay
Sergeant Larry W. Maysey
Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchberger
Sergeant Dennis M. Richardson
Sergeant Nacey Kent, Jr.
Sergeant Thomas A. Newman
Airman First Class Joel E. Talley
Technical Sergeant Victor R. Adams
Airman First Class Charles D. King
Sergeant Michael E. Fish
Technical Sergeant Donald G. Smith
Sergeant Theodore R. Hamlin
Technical Sergeant Leroy M. Wright
Staff Sergeant Charles L. Shaub
Sergeant Charles D. McGrath
Staff Sergeant Jon D. Harston
Technical Sergeant Timothy A. Wilkinson
Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham
Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman

Airman First Class William A. Robinson

On September 20,1965, A1C Robinson, a helicopter mechanic, and his
fellow crewmembers were attempting to hoist an American pilot
downed in North Vietnam aboard their helicopter when it was hit by
enemy gunfire and crashed. The entire crew survived, only to be
taken as prisoners of war (POW).

Airman Third Class Arthur N. Black

Pararescueman A3C Black was on the chopper with A1C Robinson
assisting in the rescue attempt. He was imprisoned with the rest of
the crew.

Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger

On April 11, 1966, near Cam My, Republic of Vietnam, A1C
Pitsenbarger sacrificed his life to save nine others. He was a
pararescueman on a helicopter evacuating American casualties from a
dense jungle area, and voluntarily organized and coordinated rescue
efforts at the scene, ensuring that the recovery operation proceeded
smoothly. However, when the last wounded person had been asisted
to the recovery site, the hovering rescue helicopter was hit by enemy
fire and the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at an
airstrip nearby, abandoning rescue attempts. A1C Pitsenbarger
volunteered to stay behind and tend to the wounded amid heavy
mortar and sniper fire. He continually exposed himself to intensive
automatic fire while collecting weapons from fallen comrades for use
by remaining defenders. Even after he'd been incapacitated by his
wounds, A1C Pitsenbarger continued directing defensive efforts. A1C
Pitsenbarger's Air Force Cross citation accurately reflects his selfless
act with the following words: "His bravery and determination in the
face of overwhelming odds are in keeping with the highest standards
and traditions of the American fighting man under attack." Because
he gave up his own life in saving nine others, the Air Force Sergeants
Association established the William H. Pitsenbarger Award for
Heroism. It is awarded annually to recognize heroism among enlisted
airmen.

Airman Second Class Duane D. Hackney

On February 6, 1967, A2C Hackney, a pararescueman, flew two
sorties to rescue a downed American Pilot from an extremely hostile
area. On the first flight, despite the presence of hostile forces below,
he volunteered to conduct a ground search for the survivor. He
searched until an evacuation of the rescue forces was ordered. On
the second flight, A2C Hackney located the pilot who was lifted into
the helicopter. As the rescue crew was departing the area, their
helicopter was severely damaged by enemy fire. With little regard for
his own safety, A2C Hackney fitted his parachute for himself and
donned it when the helicopter was hit again, causing it to veer out of
control. The force of the explosion blew A2C Hackney out of the
helicopter; fortunately, he managed to deploy his parachute and land
safely. He was later rescued by another helicopter crew.

Sergeant Russell M. Hunt

Helicopter mechanic Sgt Hunt sprang into action on March 31, 1967,
when his aircraft was shot down while evacuating American and Allied
ground forces. He aided increasing numbers of wounded men despite
painful injuries and hostile fire. When the enemy action forced the
ground party to move, Sgt Hunt refused to leave until every seriously
wounded man had been evacuated.

Staff Sergeant Eugene L. Clay

On November 9, 1967, SSgt Clay, a helicopter mechanic and his crew
undertook the extraction of a ground reconnaissance team at night
during heavy enemy fire. With his helicopter seriously damaged, two
others already shot down, and another extensively damaged from
earlier rescue attempts, SSgt Clay unhesitatingly exposed himself to
enemy fire to assist survivors to the aircraft. But the enemy closed in
quickly and shot down the impaired helicopter before it could escape,
killing SSgt Clay.

Sergeant Larry W. Maysey

Pararescueman Sgt Maysey was killed along with SSgt Clay while he
was attempting to rescue survivors of earlier crashes.

Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchberger

On 11 March 1968, Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. 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, Chief Etchberger continued to return the
enemy's fire thus denying them access to the position. During this
entire period, Chief 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, Chief Etchberger deliberately exposed himself to
enemy fire in order to place his three surviving wounded comrades in
the rescuer slings permitting them to be airlifted to safety. As Chief
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.

Sergeant Dennis M. Richardson

On 14 March 1968, Sergeant Richardson flew two sorties in an effort
to rescue United States Air Force pilots who were surrounded by
enemy troops along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. During the initial rescue
attempt another helicopter had been driven off and Sergeant
Richardson's helicopter had itself sustained significant battle damage.
Despite their situation, and with complete disregard for their own
safety, Sergeant Richardson and his crew elected to return and make
a second rescue attempt. Coming to a hover 10 feet above the
survivor's position, SergeantRichardson stood fully exposed in the
helicopter door and began lowering the jungle penetrator with one
hand while gripping his M-60 machine gun with the other. Unknown to
anyone, the enemy had occupied the area but held their fire, waiting
to ambush the helicopter. Suddenly intense enemy fire erupted from
all quadrants, resulting in additional damage to "Jolly Green 22" and
wounding Sergeant Richardson. In an extraordinary display of
courage and valor, Sergeant Richardson, despite his wounds, leaned
far outside the door and neutralized charging enemy combatants who
appeared intent on boarding the helicopter. Sergeant Richardson
continued to lay down an effective blanket of defensive fire which
enabled the pilot to maneuver safely out of the area. The selfless
actions of Sergeant Richardson undoubtedly saved his helicopter and
crew from certain disaster. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb
airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of a determined enemy,
Sergeant Richardson reflected the highest credit upon himself and the
United States Air Force.

Sergeant Nacey Kent, Jr.

Near Pleiku, Republic of Vietnam on May 5, 1968, Sgt Kent, an AC-47
flight engineer, and his crewmembers were defending Pleiku Air Base
against enemy attack when their aircraft was irreparably damaged by
an enemy projectile. Even though Sgt Kent suffered a broken leg in
the ensuing crash, he aided the enlisted crewmembers in evacuating
and reentering the burning aircraft to carry the wounded navigator to
safety. Sgt Kent then boarded the aircraft again to assist other
crewmembers and fight the fire.

Sergeant Thomas A. Newman

During a rescue mission in Vietnam on May 30, 1968, Sgt Newman, a
pararescueman descended voluntarily from his helicopter under
heavy hostile fire to rescue a downed Air Force Pilot. Hindered by
darkness and concentrated automatic weapons fire, he asked the
helicopter pilot to hover a short distance away, out of enemy range,
to avoid being hit and disclosing the survivor's location. When the
chopper returned, Sgt Newman secured the downed pilot to the hoist
and shielded him with his own body as they were lifted into the
aircraft.

Airman First Class Joel E. Talley

On July 2, 1968, Pararescueman A1C Talley volunteered to be
lowered from his helicopter into the jungle to rescue an injured pilot
who'd ejected the day before. The downed pilot had landed in the
midst of North Vietnamese Army regulars who instantly surrounded
him and established gun positions to ensnare rescue helicopters.
Four rescue attempts were thwarted and a supporting fighter aircraft
was shot down by enemy troops encircling the survivor. A1C Talley,
aware of the situation, descended to conduct what was to be an
extensive search. After locating the injured pilot, he carried him to the
recovery site and signaled his crew to hoist them into the helicopter.
As they were being hoisted, enemy fire raked the chopper, scoring
more than 40 hits and forcing it to depart the area with A1C Talley
and the survivor fully exposed to hostile fire. Nevertheless, the
rescue mission was a success.

Technical Sergeant Victor R. Adams

Aerial gunner TSgt Adams' helicopter was downed by hostile ground
fire, crashing in the dense jungle near Duc Co, Vietnam on November
27, 1968. Ignoring his own injuries and the rain of enemy fire, he
helped the copilot out of the burning aircraft and went back to rescue
crewmembers still trapped inside. TSgt Adams returned once more
and extracted another man from the wreckage before he was forced
to abandon rescue efforts due to the severity of the fire and
subsequent explosions.

Airman First Class Charles D. King

On Christmas day, 1968, A1C King, a pararescueman, and his
crewmembers set out to find a downed American pilot in Vietnam.
When they located him, still in his parachute, A1C King volunteered to
rescue him. on the ground, he freed the wounded pilot from his chute
and secured him to the hoist. However, as they were waiting to be
lifted, intense enemy fire severely wounded A1C King and
endangered the lives of those aboard the helicopter. Because the
crew was in peril, A1C King told the pilot to leave even though he
was at risk of being captured or losing his own life. In fact, he was
killed in action during this incident.

Sergeant Michael E. Fish

Pararescueman Sgt Fish was lowered through intense hostile ground
fire into a mountainous, densely-jungled canyon near Tuy Hoa AB,
Vietnam on February 18, 1969. His mission was to care for and rescue
four seriously injured Army helicopter crewmembers whose aircraft
had been downed by enemy fire. Sgt Fish chose to remain on the
ground overnight, facing attacks by enemy forces surrounding him.
For over 15 hours, he treated the pilot, who was trapped in the
wreckage, until he was freed.

Technical Sergeant Donald G. Smith

TSgt Smith, a pararescueman, started out to rescue a downed pilot
on October 24, 1969, but due to changing circumstances he ended up
saving most of his helicopter crew as well. He and his crew were in
their helicopter when they located the pilot, who'd been shot down
over the Vietnamese jungle. TSgt Smith was lowered to the ground
where he attached himself and the pilot to the hoist. As they were
being lifted up to the rescue aircraft, hostile fire severed the cable
and sent them hurtling to the ground. Shaken, but unhurt, TSgt Smith
watched in horror as his chopper was shot down. He made his way to
the crash site and guided and guided the survivors to an area where
he directed support fighters to ward off the enemy until they were
rescued by another helicopter.

Sergeant Theodore R. Hamlin

As a radio operator, Sgt Gamlin was trying to coordinate the
evacuation of several wounded soldiers in the Vietnamese jungle on
the evening of October 25, 1969. He'd been hit by enemy gunfire
himself, but disregarded his wounds to help others. After Sgt Gamlin
had made contact with the rescuers, he went to the landing site and
illuminated it so that the pilot would know precisely where to land.
When the helicopter landed, Sgt Gamlin helped to carry the wounded
soldiers to it. He refused to leave with them, choosing to fight side-by
side with those remaining for the rest of the night.

Technical Sergeant Leroy M. Wright

On 21 November 1970, the United States conducted a rescue mission
at the Son Tay POW camp in which Sgt Wright, a helicopter mechanic,
took part. At the prison compound, enemy fire forced Sgt Wright's
helicopter to make a rough landing, and Sgt Wright injured his leg.
Despite his injury and the danger of the helicopter exploding, he let
everyone else exit the aircraft before him. Joining the rescue mission,
he expertly used his weapon to help Army combat troops advance to
their target. Realizing that requesting assistance could jeopardize the
mission, Sgt Wright, suffering intense pain, returned to the recovery
area on his own. He was the only enlisted member who participated in
this rescue mission to receive the Air Force Cross.

Staff Sergeant Charles L Shaub

The mission for SSgt Shaub, loadmaster, and his C-130 crew on April
15, 1972, was to drop ammunition essential to U.S. forces battling the
enemy in the Vietnamese jungle. While enroute, the plane was hit by
antiaircraft fire which caused a potentially disastrous fire in the cargo
area. SSgt Shaub instinctively jettisoned the explosive crates on
board. Within seconds of their exit, the crates exploded. He began
extinguishing the fierce fire within the plane. Although he'd suffered
burns on his face, arms, and hands, he had the blaze under control
within minutes. SSgt Shaub's saved the plane and his four
crewmembers.

Sergeant Charles D. McGrath

Pararescueman Sgt McGrath was lowered from his helicopter on June
27, 1972, to rescue a badly wounded pilot downed in North Vietnam.
He dragged the pilot to the recovery site, but the helicopter was hit by
hostile fire, leaving the two men stranded. Using his rescue training,
Sgt McGrath calmly directed air support to hold off the enemy until
another rescue chopper arrived. When the rescue helicopter reached
them, Sgt McGrath shielded the wounded pilot from enemy fire until
they were safely inside.

Staff Sergeant Jon D. Harston

SSgt Harston, a helicopter mechanic, is the only Airman to receive the
Air Force Cross for heroic action during the U.S.S. Mayaguez incident.
The Mayaguez had been seized by the Cambodian armed forces; on
May 15, 1975, SSgt Harston's helicopter was involved in the recovery
mission. His helicopter was hit by enemy fire and crash-landed on the
shore of Koh Tang Island. Although SSgt Harston was wounded, he
supervised evacuation of the Marines and crew from his helicopter.

Technical Sergeant Timothy A. Wilkinson

In the late afternoon of 3 October 1993, Sgt Wilkinson, a
pararescueman with the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, responded
with his crew to the downing of a US UH-60 helicopter in the streets of
Mogadishu, Somalia. Sgt Wilkinson repeatedly exposed himself to
intense enemy small arms fire while extracting the wounded and dead
crew members from the crashed helicopter. Despite his own wounds,
he provided life-saving medical treatment to the wounded
crewmembers. With the helicopter crew taken care of, he turned to aid
the casualties of a Ranger security element engaged in an intense fire
fight across an open four-way intersection from his position where he
began immediate medical treatment. His decisive actions, and personal
courage and bravery under heavy enemy fire were integral to the
success of all casualty treatment and evacuation efforts conducted in
this intense 18-hour combat engagement.

Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham

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. In the end, his distinct efforts led
to the successful delivery of ten gravely wounded Americans to life
saving medical treatment.

Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman

On 4 March 2002, as a 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Combat
Controller in the vicinity of Gardez, in the eastern highlands of
Afghanistan, during his helicopter insertion for a reconnaissance and
time sensitive targeting close air support mission, Sergeant
Chapman’s aircraft came under heavy machine gun fire and received a
direct hit from a rocket propelled grenade which caused a United
States Navy sea-air-land team member to fall from the aircraft.
Though heavily damaged, the aircraft egressed the area and made an
emergency landing seven kilometers away. Once on the ground
Sergeant Chapman established communication with an AC-130
gunship to insure the area was secure while providing close air
support coverage for the entire team. He then directed the gunship to
begin the search for the missing team member. He requested,
coordinated, and controlled the helicopter that extracted the stranded
team and aircrew members. These actions limited the exposure of the
aircrew and team to hostile fire. Without regard to his own life
Sergeant Chapman volunteered to rescue his missing team member
from an enemy strong hold. Shortly after insertion, the team made
contact with the enemy. Sergeant Chapman engaged and killed two
enemy personnel. He continued to advance reaching the enemy
position then engaged a second enemy position, a dug-in machine gun
nest. At this time the rescue team came under effective enemy fire
from three directions. From close range Sergeant Chapman exchanged
fire with the enemy from minimum personal cover until he succumbed
to multiple wounds. His engagement and destruction of the first
enemy position and advancement on the second enemy position
enabled his team to move to cover and break enemy contact. In his
own words, his Navy sea-air-land team leader credits Sergeant
Chapman unequivocally with saving the lives of the entire rescue
team.