Last Update: Saturday, March 02, 2024
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Pararescue Air Force Cross Recipients


This website is under development. It is intended for testing purposes until being moved to the USAF Pararescue Association's website.

 

  The Air Force Cross is awarded to U.S. and Foreign military   personnel and civilians who have displayed extraordinary heroism in one of the following situations: while engaged in action against a U.S. enemy, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with a foreign force, or while serving with a Friendly nation engaged in armed conflict against a force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The Air Force Cross (AFC) is awarded when the heroic actions fall just short of warranting the Congressional Medal of Honor.
 
Congress established the Air Force Cross in 1960. Since the beginning of Vietnam War in 1965, only twenty-two enlisted men were awarded this medal. Twenty of these medals were awarded during the Vietnam War. Ten of these twenty were awarded to Pararescuemen. This is an extraordinarily large number considering that no more than seventy-five Pararescuemen served at any one time in Vietnam or Thailand. Since the end of the Vietnam War only three additional Air Force Crosses have been awarded to an enlisted airman. Two of them went to Pararescuemen. PJ Timothy Wilkenson received the Air Force Cross for action in Somalia. PJ Jason Cunningham received an AF Cross for action in Afghanistan.
 

The blue hyperlinks in the below table will take you to the citation of the Air Force Cross for the individual selected.
 

Arthur N. Black - 20 September 1965 Vietnam
 
Jason D. Cunningham - 4 March 2002  Afghanistan
 
Michael E. Fish - 18 & 19 February 1969  Vietnam
 
Duane D. Hackney - 6 February 1967  Vietnam
 
Charles D. King - 25 December 1968  Vietnam
 
Larry W. Maysey - 9 November 1967  Vietnam
 
 Charles D. McGrath - 27 June 1972  Vietnam
 
Keary J. Miller - 4 March 2002  Afghanistan
 
Thomas A. Newman - 30 May 1968  Vietnam
 
William H. Pitsenbarger - 11 April 1966  Vietnam
 
Ivan M. Ruiz - 10 December 2013  Afghanistan
 
Donald G. Smith - 24 October 1969  Vietnam
 
Joel E. Talley - 2 July 1968  Vietnam
 
Timothy A. Wilkinson - 3 October 1993 - Somalia
 


 


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