Airman First Class John L. Levitow Distinguished Himself By Conspicuous Gallantry In Connection With Military Operation Against An Opposing Armed Force As An AC-47 Loadmaster Near Long Binh Army Post, Republic Of Vietnam, On 24 Feb 1969. On That Date Airman Levitow's Aircraft Was Hit In Flight By A Hostile Mortar Round Which Caused The Aircraft To Go Out Of Control, Wounded Over Half The Crew, And Resulted In An Activated Aerial Flare Being Released Inside The Imperiled Aircraft. Though Badly And Painfully Injured From Multiple Shrapnel Wounds, Airman Levitow Dragged Himself Forward, Fell On The Smoking Flare And With Complete Disregard For His Own Safety Hurled The Flare Out The Open Cargo Door Of The Aircraft Just As It Ignited, Unquestionably Saving The Lives Of His Fellow Crew Members And The Aircraft. Airman Levitow's Conspicuous Gallantry, Extraordinary Heroics, And Intrepidity At The Risk Of His Own Life Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty Are In The Highest Traditions Of The United States Air Force And Reflect Great Credit Upon Himself And The Armed Forces Of His Country. Airman Levitow Had More Than 40 Shrapnel Wounds. The AC-47 Had 3,500 Holes In The Fuselage And Was In A 30 Degree Spin Dive When Action Took Place. Major Ken Carpenter, The Commander Of The Aircraft, Had 1/2 Of His Left Lower Bicepts Torn Off, But Was Able To Right His Ship And Return It To Bien Hoa AB.
