King, Charles Douglas Air Force Master Sergeant

Charles Douglas King, age 22, from Muscatine, Iowa, Muscatine county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: December 25, 1968
Death details: Hostile, missing, body not recovered in Laos.

Silver Star citation: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Airman First Class Charles Douglas King, United States Air Force, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as a Pararescue Specialist in an HH-3E Rescue Helicopter of Detachment 1, 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, 3d Air Rescue and Recovery Group, Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, in action in Southeast Asia, on 17 September 1968. On that date, while under heavy ground fire, Airman King voluntarily descended on the rescue hoist to recover a seriously injured Air Force pilot. While he was on the ground his aircraft again came under heavy fire, but Airman King continued cutting the man loose from his harness and immobilizing his fractured limbs until he could drag the inert pilot to the forest perimeter and have him hoisted to safety. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Airman King has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Source: National Archives, Military Times, findagrave.com