A Medal of Honor hangs from the newly unveiled John Lee Levitow memorial in the heritage room of the 3rd Special Operations Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., May 22, 2012. Levitow was an AC-47 gunship loadmaster who became the lowest ranking Airman to ever receive the Medal of Honor for exceptional heroism during a time of war. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Xavier Lockley)
3 SOS unveils Levitow Memorial at Cannon AFB
by Public Affairs Staff
27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
5/22/2012 - CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The 3rd Special Operations Squadron unveiled a memorial dedicated to Airman 1st Class John L. Levitow in their heritage room at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., May 22.
Assigned to the 3 SOS during the Vietnam War, Levitow worked as a loadmaster on an AC-47 Spooky gunship. While supporting a firefight and dropping white phosphorus flares through the open door of the gunship, his aircraft was jarred by a tremendous blast. A North Vietnamese Army 82-millimeter mortar shell landed on top of the right wing and exploded inside the wing frame. Everyone in the back of "Spooky 71" was wounded, including Levitow.
Immediately after the explosion, Levitow saw that a burning Mark 24 magnesium flare that had been knocked free in the fuselage and was rolling amid ammunition cans that contained 19,000 rounds of live ammunition. Despite his wounds, he threw his body onto the burning flare and dragged himself to the rear of the aircraft where he hurled the flare through the open cargo door. At that instant, the flare separated and ignited in the air, but clear of the aircraft. Levitow's actions saved the gunship and the lives of the crew members onboard.
Levitow was awarded the Medal of Honor for these heroic acts, and he became the lowest-ranking Airman ever to receive the prestigious honor for exceptional heroism during wartime.
According to the official website for the Public Broadcasting Service, there have been seventeen Medal of Honor recipients since the formation of a separate Air Force in 1947. This places Levitow in an elite group.
"John Levitow was part of the 3 SOS, a fellow Air Commando, and a significant part of our squadron's lineage," said Master Sgt. Charles Nichols, 3 SOS operational superintendent. "Our troops are so proud to finally see this memorial within the 3 SOS after all the work we put into getting it here."
Today, the 3 SOS flies the MQ-1B Predator, a Remotely Piloted Aircraft that is employed primarily for intelligence collection. The 3 SOS has flown more than 200,000 hours since October 2005 and continues to conduct operations in support of Special Operations Forces worldwide.
Chief Master Sgt. Gary Glover, 27th Special Operations Group superintendent, came up with the concept of erecting the memorial at the 3 SOS. "I wanted to do it for the squadron, but it's more of a testament of the sacrifice and service before self attitude that the squadron still lives by today," said Glover. "Knowing the heritage of your squadron helps inspire pride and professionalism."
While Glover started the memorial project, Nichols took the steps necessary to follow through on the initiative.
"I didn't succeed alone in this endeavor," said Nichols. "A lot of hard working people stepped up from the squadron to make this memorial a reality. Everyone in the 3 SOS played some part, so it really was a team effort."
The 3 SOS hosted a base-wide motorcycle ride and squadron barbeque to raise money needed for the memorial. More than 30 motorcyclists took part in the ride, which went through Clovis, Melrose and Portales, N.M., and helped raise more than $800.
One of the more difficult items to procure was the actual Medal of Honor ribbon, which needed Congressional approval to be sent to the 3 SOS. Levitow originally received the medal in 1969.
"It just goes to show that no matter how many stripes you have on your sleeve or how much brass you have on your collar, you can make a difference in the lives of others," said Nichols. "To see this year-long project finally realized makes us feel like we've made an impact at Cannon."
