Jerry Borrowman

Beyond the Call of Duty: the Story of an American Hero in Vietnam Jerry Borrowman

Providing close air support to ground troops in Vietnam was hazardous anytime, but in March 1966, the Special Forces in the old French Fortress of Ashau were in particular trouble as the Viet Cong closed in. When an American pilot went down, his death was a near certainty. That s when Major Bernie Fisher had a decision to make: leave the pilot to his fate or undertake a near-suicidal landing to get him out. Fisher landed his aircraft in the face of withering ground fire and taxied almost the full length of a runway littered with battle debris and parts of an exploded aircraft to attempt to rescue the downed airman. Fisher is one of just sixteen members in the history of the Air Force to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor.