The Air Force Pararescueman Creed is "That Others May Live"

On December 8, 2000, Airman First Class William Pitsenbarger became the second Air Force enlisted man to be awarded the Medal of Honor for valor in the Vietnam War. (The first was John L. Levitow, who died in November 2000 at age 55 after a lengthy battle with cancer.)

In a ceremony at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, William "Frank" Pitsenbarger accepted the Medal of Honor on behalf of his son from Air Force Secretary F. Whitten Peters. The presentation of America's highest decoration for valor upgraded the previously awarded Air Force Cross. "Your son is not just a true hero of America's Air Force, but a hero for all of America," Gen. Michael E. Ryan, Air Force chief of staff told Mr. Pitsenbarger and his wife, Alice.

Wiping away a tear, Mr. Pitsenbarger said, "Bill would have thought, 'What's all the fuss about? I was just doing my job.'"

Bill Pitsenbarger was an elite Air Force pararescueman, or PJ. Combination medic-commandos, the PJs are an elite all-volunteer force who make their living leaping from helicopters into enemy territory to rescue endangered soldiers and fellow airmen. The PJs earned more decorations per capita than any other Air Force unit in Vietnam.

In the spring of 1966, "Pits" was nearing the end of his combat tour and his Air Force enlistment. A 21-year-old veteran of about 300 rescue missions, the Piqua, Ohio, native wore the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters and there were recommendations for four more. But, with four months remaining in Vietnam, Pitsenbarger already had plans to leave the Air Force and attend Arizona State University.

On the afternoon of April 11, his PJ unit learned that a Viet Cong force had ambushed a 180-man element of the Army's 1st Infantry Division in a nearly impenetrable jungle 35 miles east of Saigon. The soldiers would have to be evacuated by two hoist-equipped helicopters, and Pitsenbarger volunteered to take part in yet another rescue mission.