Watched "The Last Full Measure" last night

Airman William H. Pitsenbarger Jr. is awarded the Medal of Honor for his service and actions on the battlefield.

Now, I know hollywood films take dramatic license when they make the movies, but it inspired me to read the Bio of Pitsenbarger. A very inspiring story. PJs, medics, rescue swimmers are a rare breed.

There are so many stories of these types of action and sacrifices from our country's military.

Also from the movie, learned the reference to the title from a speech President Lincoln gave

This thread is nearly 6 years old. The movie was mentioned a couple of times in threads (like literally twice), and never seemed to get legs and inspire real discussion. I watched it today. I admit to being pretty emotional anyway, but I found myself wiping tears through much of the second half of the movie, as sj4550 wrote, it was “inspired by a true story.”

Briefly, in Vietnam a unit of the 1st Infantry Division, is ambushed and suffers horrific casualties. Their own medic goes down and a call goes out to a USAF helo. An Air Force PJ in the helo, determines that he has to go down and help, and rides a JP down into the fight. He saves the lives of many soldiers, secures them in the Stokes litter for evacuating up to the Huey above—repeated several times. Ultimately, A1C Pitsenbarger, is killed. The MoH that he is recommended for is downgraded to an Air Force Cross. Surviving members of the Army unit and the PJ partner of Pits spend 30 years trying to get his medal upgraded. A civilian DOD staffer, after talking to family, and survivors of the fight, goes the distance to get the MoH Pitsenbarger earned.

Look for it. Watch it. Good cast, great story.

I will have to look this up and watch.

My professor at Ohio State, Lt. Col John Guilmartin Jr. (RTD) was a Search and Rescue pilot during that time and told great stories about these courageous men.

The bulk of his operational career, he served as a helicopter pilot with the Air Rescue Service, including two Southeast Asia tours based in Thailand.

During the first, in 1965-66, he logged some 130 combat missions over Laos and North Vietnam as an HH-3E “Jolly Green” helicopter pilot charged with rescuing American aviators shot down in enemy territory.

During his second tour, in 1975, he flew HH-53C “Super Jolly Greens” including participation in Operation Frequent Wind, the 29-30 April Saigon Evacuation, flying from the attack carrier USS Midway. His crew and wingmen took out some 500 evacuees in twelve sorties and fired the last American shots of the Vietnam War, suppressing enemy anti-aircraft fire on their final run-in.

Between Southeast Asia tours, he attended Princeton University under Air Force sponsorship, earning his MA and PhD in History in 1968 and 1971 respectively, before serving on the History Faculty of the US Air Force Academy during 1970-74. The balance of his Air Force career was in Air Rescue Service Flying and Staff assignments, followed by a tour at Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, where he was Editor of the Air University Review, the professional journal of the US Air Force. He retired from active duty in 1983 as a Lt. Colonel and senior pilot. His decorations include the Legion of Merit, two Silver Stars and the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters.