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What would you do, if you were on an aircraft, providing fire support to ground troops and your plane was struck by a mortar, wounding all crewmembers in the cargo compartment? Would you lay down and give up as you bled out, thousands of feet above terra firma as the icy chill of the wind sapped all energy from your mangled body? Or would you rather act like John Levitow, the man who saved an aircraft and its crew, not to mention the men on the ground they were providing support for? Ladies and gentlemen you're in for a treat today as we tell you this story of this heroic airman.
Circumstance doesn't always find the brave, but every once in a while, we are lucky enough that it strikes the right man, at the right time. Sergeant (A1C) John Levitow, a loadmaster aboard an AC-47 Spooky gunship was minding his own business, ensuring that the dudes in black pajamas attacking our forces in Vietnam would have a difficult time of it when a mortar struck the wing of the aircraft. Well shit. That's just a bad frigging day if you ask us.The resulting explosion tore open over 3,500 holes in the fuselage and wounded everyone in the cargo area. One of those wounded was a crewmember who had an activated flare in his hand. The explosion made sure that flare went flying from his hand. Damn, Murphy's Law strikes again.
Levitow saw the flare rolling wildly on the floor of the aircraft. It was difficult to grasp, so he just threw his body around the flare, it had not yet ignited. Sergeant Levitow then made his way to the cargo door and flung the flare out of the aircraft just in time to see it ignite. He did all this despite being, not only dazed but severely wounded. His actions saved the entire aircraft. Mad respect Air Force, mad respect.Read more stories of American Grit:
