On September 26, 2024, President Biden signed into law the Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award Congress can bestow on an individual or group.
This special recognition honors the Army Dustoff crew members for their heroic actions during the Vietnam War. During the eleven years of the war, approximately 1,400 pilots and 2,000 crew members flew the medical evacuation mission, rescuing 900,000 patients. The risk of injury was three times greater than any other helicopter mission flown during the war. Virtually each of the nearly 500,000 missions was flown solo without the support of other aircraft. Day, night, good weather or bad, these crew members had one purpose: to get the injured from the jungle of Vietnam to a medical facility for treatment within the “Golden Hour,” giving them a 97 percent survival rate.
These 18, 19, or 21-year-old young men who performed so bravely and courageously were not adequately recognized. This act by Congress starts to honor these brave men and what they sacrificed.
Project Sanctuary has one of these Congressional Gold Medal recipients, Doug Petersen, DUSTOFF 34, 45th Med. Co., 44th Medical Brigade. Doug, better known as DJ Doug to some of our Project Sanctuary families and his beautiful bride Ann, have spent countless hours volunteering at retreats since 2016- 43, to be exact! We are so very fortunate and so very proud to have this hero serving our military families.
Thank you, Doug, for your service to our country and for your ongoing service to our Project Sanctuary families!
