Airman First Class John L. Levitow

On February 24, 1969, Airman First Class John L. Levitow served as a loadmaster aboard an AC-47 gunship over South Vietnam when a mortar round exploded inside the aircraft. Although seriously wounded and temporarily stunned, Levitow noticed an armed flare burning dangerously close to thousands of rounds of ammunition. Despite his injuries, he crawled across the aircraft, gathered the flare against his own body, and threw it from the aircraft moments before it exploded. His extraordinary courage saved the aircraft and crew, earning him the Medal of Honor—the Air Force's lowest-ranking recipient.