William E. Adams

A helicopter rescue under intense antiaircraft fire

William Edward Adams earned the Medal of Honor for a helicopter evacuation near Kontum, South Vietnam, on May 25, 1971. The Army major served with the 227th Assault Helicopter Company, 1st Aviation Brigade.

Adams volunteered to extract three seriously wounded soldiers from a fire base under attack. Flying a lightly armed helicopter, he coordinated supporting gunships, landed amid heavy antiaircraft fire and allowed the casualties to be loaded. Enemy fire damaged the aircraft after takeoff. He briefly regained control and attempted a controlled landing, but the helicopter exploded and crashed, killing him.

Born in Casper, Wyoming, on June 16, 1939, Adams was buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. His family received his posthumous Medal of Honor on August 8, 1974. His citation honors the rescue attempt he undertook despite the extraordinary danger.

Medal of Honor citation

Maj. Adams distinguished himself on 25 May 1971 while serving as a helicopter pilot in Kontum province in the Republic of Vietnam. On that date, Maj. Adams volunteered to fly a lightly armed helicopter in an attempt to evacuate three seriously wounded soldiers from a small fire base which was under attack by a large enemy force. He made the decision with full knowledge that numerous antiaircraft weapons were positioned around the base and that the clear weather would afford the enemy gunners an unobstructed view of all routes into the base. As he approached the base, the enemy gunners opened fire with heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and small arms. Undaunted by the fusillade, he continued his approach determined to accomplish the mission. Displaying tremendous courage under fire, he calmly directed the attacks of supporting gunships while maintaining absolute control of the helicopter he was flying. He landed the aircraft at the fire base despite the ever-increasing enemy fire and calmly waited until the wounded soldiers were placed on board. As his aircraft departed from the fire base, it was struck and seriously damaged by enemy antiaircraft fire and began descending. Flying with exceptional skill, he immediately regained control of the crippled aircraft and attempted a controlled landing. Despite his valiant efforts, the helicopter exploded, overturned, and plummeted to earth amid the hail of enemy fire. Maj. Adams' conspicuous gallantry, intrepidity, and humanitarian regard for his fellow man were in keeping with the most cherished traditions of the military service and reflected utmost credit on him and the U.S. Army.