Movie Plug

Normally, I don't recommend movies here; but just watched The Last Full Measure - free on Hulu, but available elsewhere. It's the story of the effort to award the Medal of Honor to Airman William Pitsenbarger. Very moving, powerful, well-acted story.

There's a lot of "artistic license" in that flic. SAR birds were "Pedros" at that time. Dual main rotors. Years later, in the early '70's I flew on a number of SAR missions in HH-53's, attached to 16th SOS out of Ubon, Thailand. Among the pararescue guys Pits was a legend. Those fellas pulled a fellow photog out of the jungle after the OV-10 FAC bird he was in had been shot down in '69. He'd spent a day alone on the "floor" with a broken thigh suffered on ejection. He and that PJ kept in touch for years afterward. Another friend and fellow photog went on a SAR mission while on a TDY to Da Nang in '72 and was MIA until 2010. That Jolly's manifest listed him as "passenger"... insulting, IMO.

Air Force PJ's are absolutely the finest, bravest, most honorable among the service. Seeing them on a penetrator, going down into green canopy is something I will never forget.

They all deserve awards. "That Others May Live".

I figured it would resonate with you. Sadly, his story didn't get the recognition it deserved until years later.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Pitsenbarger

Sad indeed. And he's not alone. I was a "professional observer" to some of the most insanely heroic acts the PJ's accomplished. Unfortunately, those images all went to DoD. Only carried one camera on SAR missions.

A link to an Air & Space magazine article about Combat Camera. I knew a couple of the guys mentioned in it, too.

Sounds like a great movie - thanks for the tip.