Delbert Ray Peterson

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Air Force Cross (Posthumously) to Delbert Ray Peterson (FV-3130436), Captain [then First Lieutenant], U.S. Air Force (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force while serving as Co-Pilot of an AC-47 aircraft of the 4th Air Commando Squadron (Fire Support), 14th Air Commando Wing, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, SEVENTH Air Force, in action near A Shau, Republic of Vietnam, on 9 March 1966. On that date, Lieutenant Peterson and crew responded to a desperate plea for close air support from the embattled defenders of the Special Forces Camp at A Shau. Arriving over the battle scene, Lieutenant Peterson’s aircraft penetrated a four hundred foot cloud ceiling to reach the beleaguered, mountain-shrouded fort. Shortly after making a firing pass at treetop level, the aircraft’s right engine was torn from its mounts by savage .50 caliber anti-aircraft fire. Second later the left engine was lost and the pilot crash-landed the aircraft on a nearby mountain slope. Realizing that the Viet Cong would soon swarm to the crash site, Lieutenant Peterson displayed an utter disregard for his own safety as he refused to abandon a badly injured fellow crew member. The Viet Cong attacked immediately but were beaten back by the downed crew. During the second assault, one crew member was killed and another seriously wounded, but again the Viet Cog were repelled. As they pressed their third attack, Lieutenant Peterson, in a last ditch effort, gallantly and heroically charged the hostile forces. The intensity of hostile fire immediately diminished. Largely through his determined resistance, rescue aircraft were able to pick up the surviving crew members. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the opposing force, Lieutenant Peterson reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Department of the Air Force, Special Order GB-189 (July 13, 1966