POW Rescue Flight Crew. The crew, all US Marines, posed for this picture in Da Nang, Vietnam following their historic mission. From the left Lance Corporal John G. Phelps, Navy Cross, Captain Stephen W. Pless, Medal of Honor, Captain Rupert E. Fairfield, Navy Cross, and Gunnery Sergeant Leroy N. Poulson, Navy Cross. US Govt. photo courtesy of Pless archive.

POW Rescue Flight Crew. The crew following their historic mission. From the left Gunnery Sergeant Leroy N. Poulson, Navy Cross, Lance Corporal John G. Phelps, Navy Cross, Captain Rupert E. Fairfield, Navy Cross, and Captain Stephen W. Pless, Medal of Honor, US Govt. photo courtesy of Pless archive.

Lance Corporal John G. Phelps, USMC, Navy Cross Recipient. Phelps was the crew chief on the rescue mission. In this photo he wears the Nomex "fire resistant" flight suit and is carrying a .45 automatic in a shoulder holster, although the standard issue side arm for crew chiefs was the .38 Special revolver that he used on the rescue mission. Photo: VMO-6 cruise book.

Gunnery Sergeant Leroy N. Poulson, USMC, Navy Cross Recipient. Gunny Poulson had about fifteen years of service in the Marine Corps at the time of the rescue mission. He was a senior Non commissioned officer whose primary responsibility in the squadron was management of the operations section, but he was a qualified combat air crewman and frequently flew on combat missions where he served as a door gunner. Photo: VMO-6 cruise book.

Captain Rupert E. "Skeets" Fairfield, USMC, Navy Cross Recipient. Skeets Fairfield was copilot on the rescue mission. He had recently joined the squadron but he was no stranger to combat for he served a tour of duty in Vietnam as a Marine artillery officer before becoming a pilot. Photo courtesy Rupert Fairfield.

Captain Stephen W. Pless, USMC, Medal of Honor Recipient. Captain Pless visited Staff Sergeant Lawrence Allen in the hospital after the rescue. US Govt. photo courtesy of Pless archive.

Door Gunner in action. In this picture an unidentified Marine door gunner or crew chief from VM)-6 is firing his door gun as he kneels in the open doorway of the helicopter. In addition to firing these weapons, the crew kept the four fixed guns supplied with ammunition and clear of jambs. They had to lean far out into the airstream to remove and replace overheated gunbarrels. Photo: VMO-6 cruise book.

LCpl. John Phelps. Picture shortly after the rescue mission. Phelps was only nineteen at the time of the action and was already a veteran of extensive combat. He had voluntarily extended his tour of duty. Before leaving Vietnam he had earned over 40 air medals for flying over 800 combat missions. US Govt. photo courtesy of Pless archive.

Gunny Poulson. This grainy picture, enlarged from a group picture in the VMO-6 cruise book, is one of the few pictures available for creation of the memorial sculptures.

Capt. "Skeets" Fairfield. Profile view enlarged from the official "handshake" picture. Fairfield left the aircraft to aid in carrying in the three wounded men. Photo: US Govt. Pless Archive.

Gunny Poulson. Poulson was apparently the squadron's operations NCO. He is shown here in a picture enlarged from a group picture of the S-3 (operations) office. In an interview in 2002, his former commanding officer, retired Colonel Joe Nelson, recalled that Poulson was one of the best door gunners in VMO-6. Poulson's accurate first burst of machinegun fire on the rescue mission was instrumental in the success of the action that followed. Photo: VMO-6 cruise book.

"Skeets" Fairfield. As Fairfield was leaving the aircraft to assist in carrying in the three wounded men, he saw three enemy soldiers right behind the tail of the aircraft. He pulled one of the door guns from its mounting and killed the three in a burst of accurate fire. The enemy was so close that he clearly remembers looking into the eyes of one of them as he fired. This small clay sculpture is an early study based upon that moment in the action. We have subsequently learned that Fairfield held the gun left handed, so this sculpture has been changed. MABS photo.