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Mr. and Mrs. (Frank and Alice) Pitsenbarger (father of the recipient and his wife), Pitsenbarger family and friends, members of Congress, Gen. (Michael E.) Ryan (Air Force chief of staff), Chief (Master Sergeant of the Air Force Jim) Finch and all of the dedicated members of this great Air Force, distinguished visitors, ladies and gentlemen.

I am humbled to be here today as the President Clinton’s representative to present the Air Force Medal of Honor to Airman 1st Class William Hart Pitsenbarger.

There are hundreds of people whose hard work has made this day possible, and many are present here today. I want to thank each of you for your contribution.

At the risk of giving offense, let me give special thanks to three groups.

First, I want to recognize the many members of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division who are with us. They are survivors of the battle during which Airman Pitsenbarger was killed and eyewitnesses to Airman Pitsenbarger’s heroism on that day. They have worked tirelessly to see his heroism recognized.

Second, are the thousands of pararescuemen, past and present, hundreds of who have joined us today. These men risk their lives daily so that others may live. Bill Pitsenbarger is their hero – and mine – and they too have worked tirelessly to bring this day about.

Third, the Medal of Honor is awarded in the name of Congress, and I want to thank the members of the Ohio congressional delegation without whose help we would not be here today. We are joined today by Congressmen (John) Boehner, and we thank him for coming.

There are many others, of course – too many to recognize here – but we are grateful to all of you, and, I am sure, Bill Pitsenbarger knows who you are.

Amid the gloom and waste of war, we see, occasionally, a brief but brilliant flash of personal valor – of heroism so radiant that it lights up everything and everyone near it.

Even more occasionally, we see one of those flashes so sustained that it outlasts the dark night of war and is visible to us even in the brilliant sunshine of peace.

Such is the heroism of Airman 1st Class William Hart Pitsenbarger.

If this award has been a long time in coming, perhaps it is because, only now, in the bright sunshine of peace, can we see how enduring and intense one man’s light could be. Now, an entire generation has come and gone in the warm light of this great man’s gallantry.

Though the last heroic acts of Bill Pitsenbarger’s life have become the stuff of legend, few people know of the heroism he displayed so frequently during his brief Air Force career.

• The time he had to face down a bear to rescue an injured hiker in the mountains of California.

• The time he and good friend Harry O’Beirne, who is with us today, set out to find a downed pilot in enemy-controlled territory. They succeeded, at great risk to themselves, and saved the pilot from capture or death.

• The time he dangled perilously beneath a helicopter to rescue a South Vietnamese soldier who was wounded while trying to put out a fire in a minefield.

It came as no surprise to anyone who knew him that Bill Pitsenbarger chose to descend from the relative safety of his helicopter into the midst of a mounting firefight to help rescue the wounded of Charlie Company on that day in April 1966.

In his last great act of valor, Bill Pitsenbarger had at least six opportunities to save himself – to return to safety – but each time, he chose, instead, to stay and help people who desperately needed his assistance.

That’s the kind of man Bill Pitsenbarger was, and that is why we are here today.

I didn’t know Bill Pitsenbarger, and I cannot presume to speak of him as personally as can many of the people assembled here today.

People like Chief Master Sgt. Dave Milsten, who wrote of Bill Pitsenbarger last year, "He was the most dedicated and capable pararescueman I … worked with in my 25 years with pararescue."

Bill Pitsenbarger’s good friend Chief Master Sgt. Roy Boudreaux, another who is with us today, who said, "For those of us who knew him, it’s crystal clear. [He] gave his life doing what he was trained to do … what his character compelled him to do."

But perhaps none speak so eloquently as the men Bill Pitsenbarger helped to save that day, the men who lived to raise families, to start businesses, to work in their communities, and to tell Bill Pitsenbarger’s story.

One such man, Phillip J. Hall, a specialist fourth class in the 2nd Platoon of Charlie Company during the battle, who today sits in the audience, said, "Bill possessed the ultimate courage and paid the ultimate price, not because he had to, but because he chose to. It was then, and is now, the most unselfish and courageous act that I have ever witnessed in my life."

Ron Haley, another eyewitness who joins us today and the father of an airman first class of his own, wrote to his son just this year, "All (Bill Pitsenbarger) knew of any of us was that we were few fighting against many, that we were losing and that we needed help. What kind of courage was it that made him enter such a one-sided fight as we were in? His courage wasn’t born of self-preservation, fear, hate or meanness. He was a young man who wanted to save the lives of other men. He was moved by what is best in men, the unselfish love of his fellow man."

Bill Pitsenbarger, safe in the loving arms of God, needs no more recognition than this, the testimony of his comrades and the men he saved and the gratitude of their families.

But we understand that this particular medal – our nation’s highest military award for valor – has a deep symbolism that extends far beyond today’s event.

For our pararescuemen, it is a validation of their dedication to a supremely demanding profession – one that requires them to put themselves in harm’s way so that others may live.

For our enlisted men and women, it is recognition of their abiding contributions to the defense of our nation.

To the men and women in uniform during the Vietnam War, who gave so much to our country, this is one more acknowledgment of their sacrifices.

To Bill Pitsenbarger’s friends and family – especially to the father who raised Bill from boyhood to manhood – this is a long-sought recognition of the true heroism of a man they love.

From this event, we are – all of us – looking for some measure of peace.

In a sense, this is one more mission for Bill Pitsenbarger … descending again, as he did so often in life, to touch us, and to bring the peace for which so many have longed.

After this mission is complete, the light of Bill Pitsenbarger’s valor will remain, reminding us of him and the sacrifices so many have made that others may live.

Mr. and Mrs. Pitsenbarger, if you will come forward, I will be privileged to present the Medal of Honor.

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