Etchberger Enshrined in Pentagon Hall of Heroes

Sept. 23, 2010

CMSgt. Richard Etchberger was inducted Wednesday into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes, one day after he posthumously received the Medal of Honor. During the dedication ceremony, the Air Force leadership unveiled a panel inscribed with Etchberger’s name that is now on display together with those of other US military personnel who have won the medal, the nation’s highest military honor. “Dick Etchberger’s name is now enshrined in our Hall of Heroes, creating a deep and unbreakable bond not just with our history, but with our heritage,” said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley. Cory Etchberger, the chief’s youngest son, accepted the MOH flag and a plaque on behalf of the family. Etchberger’s gallantry on a Laotian mountaintop in March 1968 saved the lives of fellow airmen, but resulted in his own death. (SAF/PA report by SMSgt. David Byron) (See also AFPS report by Karen Parrish) (For background on Etchberger’s saga, read The Fall of Lima Site 85 from the Air Force Magazine archives.)

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