John L. Levitow was the only Air Force enlisted man to be awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. He received the medal for exceptional heroism during wartime. He is the lowest ranked serviceman in the Air Force to ever receive the Medal of Honor, which is the United States military’s highest honor. He may not have been leading the military at the time, but he showed exemplary leadership and saved many lives with his heroic actions.
BACKGROUND
- On February 24, 1969, Levitow was asked to fill in for the regular loadmaster on an armed AC-47 call sign Spooky 71.

-- Levitow's job was to set the ejection and ignition timer controls on magnesium flares.

--- These flares were 27 pounds, 3 feet long, and would burn at 4,000 degrees. …show more content…
--- The explosion ripped a hole 3 ¼ inches wide through the wing

--- The shell also ripped more than 3,500 holes in the fuselage

-- Every person on the aircraft was severely injured -- The pilot emergency landed the plane at a 30-degree bank -- Airman Levitow suffered over 40 fragment wounds in his back and legs -- The blast jarred an active flare form a crew member’s hands -- Levitow saw the flare burning among 19,000 rounds of live ammunition

-- If the flare exploded, everyone on the plane would be killed

-- Levitow was helping move a wounded airman away from the cargo compartment --- Levitow saw the burning flare rolling around in the aisle --- Levitow then crawled up the 30-degree embankment on his stomach --- Unable to grasp it with his hands, he threw his body on top of it --- Levitow dragged himself to the rear of the aircraft with the flare under him --- He then hurled the flare out the cargo door and it exploded at that instant

--- The flare cleared the aircraft and no one was harmed by its explosion

- Levitow saved the aircraft and the lives of all of its crew from certain