An Army general recommended that the award be downgraded to the Air Force Cross, apparently because at the time there was not enough documentation of Pitsenbargers heroic actions. Clarence William Pitsenbarger. Greater Cleveland obituaries from the The Plain Dealer and other Ohio obituary sources. Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. All had wondered for years why the Medal of Honor had not been awarded to Pitsenbarger. His father, Frank Pitsenbarger, said that his son had never been afraid of anything. Gravesite is in Ten Commandments Section just behind the large book monument. This account has been disabled. She married Herbert Herb Pitsenbarger August 6, 1955 in Piqua; he preceded her in death October 23, 1991. Year. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. - Service animals [4] He completed the qualifying requirements and was one of the first group of airmen to qualify for Pararescue right out of basic training. The highway runs near the hometowns of four pararescuemen who died in service to their country. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Vietnam War: U.S. Military Casualties, 1956-1998, Your Scrapbook is currently empty. All Rights Reserved | Designed by True Vision Designs, LLC. In Vietnam Airman 1st Class William H. "Bill" Pitsenbarger gave his life so that others might live. More Air Force rescue training and jungle survival school followed. - Knives Mrs. Pitsenbarger was a 1950 graduate of Piqua Central High School, worked at the former Superior Underwear Company, and assisted her husband with the Pitsenbarger Electric Company. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? When the others began running low on ammunition, he gathered ammunition from the dead and distributed them to those still alive. This is a brief excerpt from interviews with some of the Vietnam Veterans who fought for over 30 years to get the Medal of Honor for a fallen brother in arms. Again, he refused and waved the chopper off. Levitow died exactly one month before Frank Pitsenbarger was presented with his sons Medal of Honor. She was a dedicated member of the Piqua Christian Church where she was the church organist, sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and served on many other committees. >> How Piqua is celebrating the premiere offilm about hometown military hero, Plot, per imdb: "34 years after his death, Airman William H. Pitsenbarger, Jr. ("Pits") is awarded the nation's highest military honor for his actions on the battlefield. She then became the Nova Net Director in 2010 to help students with credit recovery and online learning. Failed to report flower. Prohibited Items: Also present were several of his school classmates and some of his Air Force friends, all of whom had worked to get him the medal. MIRIAM Y. PITSENBARGER Miriam Y. Pitsenbarger, 89, of Piqua, joined her Lord and Savior at 7:02 a.m. Friday, October 23, 2020 at Brookdale Senior Living of Troy. ELLIOTT, Daphne Frances "Dee" Age 98, of Piqua, passed away on Monday, February 20, 2023. visitation from 10 AM-11 AM on Monday, February 27, 2023, at Fisher-Cheney Funeral Home, Troy, OH. Funeral homes; Help and . At one point, said Charles Epperson, of Paris, Mo., Pitsenbarger saw two wounded soldiers outside the perimeter. Creato da Local Web . Find the obituary of Charles E. Pitsenbarger (1955 - 2019) from Piqua, OH. Share a memory of MIRIAM Y. PITSENBARGER. We ended up getting nine more out after he got on the ground. [3] Pitsenbarger received the Air Force Cross on June 30, 1966. Memorial contributions may be made to the Piqua Education Foundation, P.O. She loved ballroom dancing with her devoted husband, Roy. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? in memory of JOYCE E. PITSENBARGER, please visit our floral store. Frank Pitsenbarger. William H. Pitsenbarger: Bravest Among the Brave Vietnam War Veteran. Then, Navarro said, he saw him get hit several times as he made his way toward what Navarro thought was another wounded man. Survivors include two sisters, Nancy (Randy) Nash of Richmond, Indiana, Ann (Roger) Toon of Piqua; and many nieces and nephews. Burial will follow at Miami Memorial Park, Covington. Create an obituary. - Coolers Return to the home page. based on information from your browser. William Pitsenbarger is remembered by his high school classmates as a warm and outgoing man, and by his Air Force comrades as someone always willing to get in the thick of the action where he could be the most help.. In 1992, Cheryl Buecker and her husband Tom, who was president of the 1962 class, persuaded David Vollette, president of the Piqua Chamber of Commerce, to join their effort. (U.S. Air Force photo), DAYTON, Ohio - Airmen 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger's military decorations on display in the Southeast Asia War Gallery at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Try again later. All rights reserved. MIRIAM Y. PITSENBARGER Miriam Y. Pitsenbarger, 89, of Piqua, joined her Lord and Savior at 7:02 a.m. Friday, October 23, 2020 at Brookdale Senior Living of Troy. - Camera bags Funeral Home website by. He was an inspiration to me, said Epperson. She will be remembered for her faith, love of family and concern for others and will be deeply missed by her loving family and many friends. There was a problem getting your location. - Water bottles (clear, sealed bottle, up to 20 oz.) On three different occasions I glimpsed movement, and it was Pits dragging somebody behind a tree trunk or a fallen tree, trying to give them first aid, he recalled. Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 Index and images of death records from county courthouses. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Loren Pitsenbarger. Airman Pitsenbarger exposed himself to almost certain death by staying on the ground, and perished while saving the lives of wounded infantrymen. Born in 1944 in Piqua, Ohio, William H. Pitsenbarger was an ambitious only child. (U.S. Air Force photo), A1C William Pitsenbarger with an M-16 outside the HH-43. On the ground, he organized and coordinated rescue efforts, cared for the wounded, prepared casualties for evacuation, and insured that the recovery operation continued in a smooth and orderly fashion. May 2, 1928 - August 21, 2021. Through his personal efforts, the evacuation of the wounded was greatly expedited. As the fight continued, Pedro 73 was badly damaged by ground fire and forced to withdraw. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Sorry! You didnt dare walk into the back room because hed hide behind boxes and jump out and scare you to death. More Air Force rescue training and jungle survival school followed. She was born January 13, 1931 in Piqua to the late Melvin R. and Evada (Bryant) Coburn. With complete disregard for personal safety, Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to ride a hoist more than one hundred feet through the jungle, to the ground. Loren E Pitsenbarger of Piqua, Miami County, Ohio was born on May 27, 1920. Geni requires JavaScript! Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. (U.S. Air Force photo), DAYTON, Ohio - Pitsenbarger's uniform patches and badges, including pararescue insignia, parachute badges, and enlisted aircrew wings. Bob Ford, a retired Piqua assistant fire chief who knew him most of his life, said Pitsenbarger had two other loves: baseball and playing soldier. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863 has awarded in the name of the Congress the Medal of Honor posthumously to: A1C WILLIAM H. PITSENBARGER UNITED STATES AIR FORCE for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty near Cam My, April 11, 1966: Rank and organization: Airman First Class, U.S. Air Force, Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. Click here to return to Combat Search and Rescue in Southeast Asia. She was preceded in death by three brothers, Paul Treon, Robert Treon and Ralph Treon. In popular culture The 2019 film The Last Full Measure depicting Pitsenbarger's life stars Jeremy Irvine as Pitsenbarger. There were lots of war movies then, and we played soldier in the streets and alleys all the time. For the next hour and a half, Pitsenbarger tended to the wounded soldiers, hacking splints out of snarled vines and building improvised stretchers out of saplings. Edison Community College in Piqua, Ohio, awards the Pitsenbarger Scholarship to two full-time students per year who can show financial need. Then, he joined the others with a rifle to hold off the Viet Cong. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Christopher Plummer plays his father, Frank Pitsenbarger. Mrs. Pitsenbarger attended St. Mary Catholic School and worked as a retail associate. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or plant a tree in memory of BERNADINE C. PITSENBARGER. - Diaper bags Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Weve updated the security on the site. In his work, and especially on his final mission, Airman 1st Class Pitsenbarger embodied the pararescueman's motto: "That Others May Live." On that date, Airman Pitsenbarger was aboard a rescue helicopter responding to a call for evacuation of casualties incurred in an on-going firefight between elements of the United States Army's 1st Infantry Division and a sizable enemy force approximately 35 miles east of Saigon. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in the book. Civilian authorities have also honored his name. They have a beautiful IMAX-sized screen . She was born October 18, 1923 in Shelby County to the late Adrian and Lena (Simon) Treon. Three requirements had to be . Place. On April 11, 1966, the Joint Rescue Center dispatched two Huskies from Detachment 6 to extract a half-dozen or more Army casualties pinned down in a battle near Cam My, 35 miles (56 km) east of Saigon. [10][11] In addition to being designated Main Street through the city of Daytonwhere the Wright Brothers designed their airplanestate route 48 also runs along Miami Memorial Park north of Covington, Ohio, where all four are buried. Survivors include three daughters, Joyce Pitsenbarger of Piqua, Nancy (Randy) Nash of Richmond, Indiana, Ann (Roger) Toon of Piqua; eight grandchildren; eleven great grandchildren; and a brother, Melvin Coburn of Kentucky. There is a problem with your email/password. FUNERAL HOMES. He courageously resisted the enemy, braving intense gunfire to gather and distribute vital ammunition to American defenders. It had been 34 years since his death. We couldn't find the page you were looking for. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. The tallest trees rose 150 feet, and a second layer stood at about 100 feet,with a third layer below. Pitsenbarger, on April 11, 1966, at his own request, descended 100 feet on a winch line from a Kaman HH-43 Huskie helicopter into a dense jungle valley and alighted in the middle of an encircled company of U.S. Army soldiers. Rather than escape with the last Huskie, Pitsenbarger chose to stay on the ground and aid the wounded. His parents were William and Irene Pitsenbarger of 626 Gordon Street. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. But in his short life and valorous Air Force career, he was an example of dedication, compassion and tenacity for all those with whom he served. The Ohio University graduates work has appeared in the Dayton Daily News since 2000. His citation reads "Airman First Class Pitsenbarger distinguished himself by extreme valor while assigned as a Pararescue Crew Member, Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. 2023 Jamieson & Yannucci Funeral Home. https://www.historynet.com/william-h-pitsenbarger-bravest-among-the https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/last-full-measure/. In his work, and especially on his final mission, Airman 1st Class Pitsenbarger embodied the pararescuemans motto: That Others May Live.. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. His mother is portrayed by Diane Ladd. The Pitsenbarger Sports Complex at Piqua, Ohio, the Pitsenbarger Dining Hall at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Pitsenbarger dormitory at Dover Air Force Base are named in his honor. [CDATA[// >