[Martinez]

From the JFK Special Warfare Museum:

Born on October 27, 1942 in Trenton, New Jersey, CSM Fred Zabitosky led a rough and tumble life until he entered the military in 1959 and then attended Airborne School in 1963. During his second tour in the Republic of Viet Nam as a member of MACV-SOG Command and Control North, MSG Zabitosky, while deep in Laos with a nine-man patrol on 19 FEB 1968, was attacked by a North Vietnamese Army platoon. MSG Zabitosky ordered his tem to move to a landing zone for helicopter extraction while he covered their withdrawal by detonating a claymore mine and throwing several grenades. The platoon attempted to assault him, but he held them at bay by throwing a grenade and then repositioning when it detonated. Moving laterally to the advancing enemy, he created the illusion that several men were facing them, so they could not outflank him. He then called in tactical air support and rejoined his patrol. Air support reported that up to several hundred enemy were converging on the landing zone. Assaulting in waves across the open space, MSG Zabitosky’s team continued to stop the charges. Mainly due to his example, the greatly outnumbered patrol maintained its precarious position until the arrival of their helicopter extraction. As the rescue helicopters arrived, the determined enemy pressed their attack. MSG Zabitosky repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to adjust suppressive helicopter gunship fire around the landing zone. After fierce fighting, he boarded on of the two rescue helicopters. 75 feet off the ground, the helicopter was hit by a rocket blast that threw Zabitosky from the crashing aircraft. Forcing himself to consciousness, he found his clothes afire and the burning aircraft 20 feet away. Despite suffering several crushed vertebrae, broken ribs, he saw the pilot was still alive and needed help. He rolled clumsily on the ground to extinguish his clothes, and although burned, he pulled both the pilot and co-pilot from the burning aircraft. With enemy fire encompassing the area, MSG Zabitosky dragged the aviators to a rescue helicopter before collapsing. Date of Action: 19 Feb 1968. MOH presented:< 7 March 1969. After serving in various capacities with Special Forces, he retired from the 82d Airborne Division in 1989. Until his death February 1997, he was working as the military coordinator for the VA Hospital, Fayetteville, NC.