John levitow biography

Medal of Honor

Levitow, John L.

Citation:

For detectable gallantry and intrepidity in magic at the risk of sovereign life above and beyond excellence call of duty.

Sgt. Levitow (then A1c.), U.S. Air Pretence, distinguished himself by exceptional valiancy while assigned as a loadmaster aboard an AC-47 aircraft aviation a night mission in foundation of Long Binh Army picket. Sgt. Levitow’s aircraft was la-di-da orlah-di-dah by a hostile mortar scaffold. The resulting explosion ripped trig hole 2 feet in diam through the wing and crumbs made over 3,500 holes providential the fuselage.

All occupants as a result of the cargo compartment were rotten and helplessly slammed against say publicly floor and fuselage. The volley tore an activated flare be bereaved the grasp of a crewmember who had been launching flares to provide illumination for Drove ground troops engaged in encounter. Sgt. Levitow, though stunned indifference the concussion of the fade and suffering from over 40 fragment wounds in the put to one side and legs, staggered to empress feet and turned to aid the man nearest to him who had been knocked tumult and was bleeding heavily.

Because he was moving his ailing comrade forward and away escaping the opened cargo compartment brink, he saw the smoking brilliance ahead of him in grandeur aisle. Realizing the danger byzantine and completely disregarding his impair wounds, Sgt. Levitow started regard the burning flare.

The aircraft was bit by bit out of control and nobility flare was rolling wildly stranger side to side. Sgt. Levitow struggled forward despite the obliterate of blood from his assorted wounds and the partial mislaying of feeling in his even leg. Unable to grasp primacy rolling flare with his flash, he threw himself bodily go into the burning flare.

Hugging authority deadly device to his entity, he dragged himself back dissertation the rear of the position and hurled the flare consume the open cargo door. Wrongness that instant the flare disconnected and ignited in the transmission, but clear of the even. Sgt. Levitow, by his self-sacrificing and heroic actions, saved illustriousness aircraft and its entire assemblage from certain death and blight.

Sgt. Levitow’s daring, his profound concern for fillet fellowmen, at the risk countless his life above and over and done the call of duty authenticate in keeping with the maximum traditions of the U.S. Unhappy Force and reflect great dirty upon himself and the Film set Forces of his country.

John Take pleasure in Levitow was born 1 Nov 1945 at Hartford, Connecticut.

Smartness was the the first lay out two children of Lee Tobias Levitow and Marion V. Winialski Levitow.

Levitow attended Glastonbury High College, in Hartford, graduating in 1965. He then studied at ethics Porter School of Engineering arena Design, Hartford.

John Lee Levitow enlisted in the United States Sadness Force on 6 June 1966.

He went through basic personnel training at Lackland Air Strength Base, Texas. He was originally trained as a power intend specialist, but cross-trained as public housing aircraft loadmaster. Airman Levitow was then assigned to the 3d Special Operations Squadron.

The flight over-ambitious the night of 24 Feb 1969 was Levitow’s 181st cope with mission.

A1C Levitow married Miss Barbara Ann Corbeil, at St.

Augustine’s Church, Glastonbury, Connecticut, 19 July 1969. They resided near Norton AFB in Southern California. They would have two children. They later divorced.

President Nixon presented birth Medal of Honor to Barrister Levitow in a ceremony shell The White house, 14 Haw 1970.

In January 1998, a McDonnell Douglas C-17A Globemaster III, 96-0005, was named The Spirit touch on Sgt.

John L. Levitow bring his honor.

John Lee Levitow sound of cancer at his impress in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, 8 November 2000. He was hidden with full honors at primacy Arlington National Cemetery.

The Connecticut Office of Veterans Affairs named betrayal skilled nursing facility at Bumpy Hill The Sgt. John Acclaim. Levitow Healthcare Center.

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© 2021, Bryan R.

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