John Levitow Was the Lowest-Ranking Airman to Receive the Medal of Honor

John Levitow rose from humble beginnings to achieve the remarkable. By the end of his time with the US Air Force, he'd become the lowest-ranking airman ever to receive the Medal of Honor. This is the story of his career and his acts of bravery in the face of imminent danger.

John Levitow's enlistment in the US Air Force

John L. Levitow, born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, enlisted in the US Air Force in June 1966. Initially planning to join the Navy, he made a last-minute decision to switch branches.

His first role in the service was as a civil engineer. At the same time, he cross-trained as a loadmaster, a skill set that wound up being valuable in his later years with the Air Force. Loadmasters are charged with handling the weighing and loading of cargo onto aircraft, as well as determining the weight and seating arrangements of passengers. They're charged with making sure the aircraft remains within a permissible center of gravity.

Incident in South Vietnam

On February 24, 1969, John Levitow was asked to fill in as loadmaster on an armed Douglas AC-47 , call sign "Spooky 71." The aircraft, part of the 3rd Special Operations Squadron, was tasked with flying a night mission over South Vietnam. Levitow was tasked with setting the ejection and ignition timer controls on Mark 24 magnesium flares, before giving them to the gunner for deployment.

During the mission, the AC-47's pilot, Maj. Kenneth Carpenter, noticed muzzle flashes near Long Binh Army Base and engaged the Viet Cong near Tan Son Nhut Air Base. Levitow and the gunner were deploying flares from the cargo door when the aircraft was hit by a North Vietnamese mortar shell.

Extreme bravery in the face of mortal danger

Everyone was injured in the blast. John Levitow suffered a concussion and over 40 shrapnel wounds to his back and legs. The explosion also caused an ignited flare to fly from the gunner's hands, putting the en aircraft at risk. If the rest of the munitions were to ignite, everyone would perish.

Despite extraordinary pain and wooziness, Levitow crawled over to where the flare sat and laid his body over it, before throwing it out the cargo door. Right after, it ignited. Despite suffering heavy damage - more than 3,500 holes were noted in the fuselage and wings - the AC-47 was able to fly safely back to base.

Presented with the Medal of Honor for exceptional heroism

John Levitow was awarded the Medal of Honor for exceptional heroism during wartime, making him the lowest-ranking airman to receive the US military's highest honor. It was presented to him by President Richard Nixon in May 1970.

Among his other decorations were the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters and the National Defense Service Medal.

John Levitow's legacy

John Levitow died of cancer in November 2000, at the age of 55. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

In his honor, the US Air Force created the John Levitow Award, which is presented to a graduate of the Air Force Enlisted Professional Military Education. The winner of the annual award must finish in the top one percent of their class.

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Levitow's honors didn't stop there. In 1998, he was inducted into the Airlift/Tanker Association Hall of Fame. A Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, named The Spirit of John L. Levitow , was also delivered to the 437th and 315th Airlift Wings stationed at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. The aircraft was later transferred to the 105th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard.