Description:
Action near Dalat, Republic Of Vietnam, On February 24, 1967, wherein Capt. Hilliard A. Wilbanks, USAF, engaged the Enemy at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. In this action the Medal Of Honor was awarded to Capt. Wilbanks posthumously. From the Air Force Museum website:
Realizing that their ambush was being compromised, the enemy reacted with a barrage from mortars, machine guns, and automatic weapons. Captain Wilbanks received much of this fire as he marked the enemy positions with white phosphorus rockets for the gunships. He himself opened fire with an M-16 rifle that he carried in his plane when he spotted forward Ranger squads that were pinned down and about to be overrun. Firing out of the side window of his O-1, Captain Wilbanks distracted the enemy troops and momentarily slowed their advance.
The outnumbered Rangers were afforded a chance to withdraw as the attackers diverted their fire against the low-flying aircraft. Despite the hits being scored on his plane, Captain Wilbanks persisted in covering the withdrawal. On his third pass. he was severely wounded and crashed in the battle area. The Rangers managed to rescue Captain Wilbanks from the wreckage of his plane, but he died while being evacuated to a hospital.
For his heroic support of the Rangers, Captain Wilbanks was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The presentation was made to his widow by Secretary of the Air Force Harold Brown at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Jan. 24, 1968.
https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/hilliard-a-wilbanks
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