Steve Pless MOH Rescue Mission RVN 1967

Major Stephen W. Pless, a Medal of Honor recipient and Vietnam War hero, was born on September 6, 1939, in Newman, Georgia. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1956 and later became a commissioned officer, earning his Naval aviator designation in 1960. Pless served in various Marine Corps units and participated in numerous combat missions in Vietnam, where he became renowned for his bravery. His most notable act of heroism, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor, occurred on August 19, 1967, when he rescued three wounded soldiers while under heavy fire.

Marine Captain Steve Pless was flying escort for medical evacuation missions in Vietnam when he heard a desperate radio transmission. A pilot reported his aircraft was shot up with wounded aboard, and four American servicemen were stranded on a beach with Viet Cong forces trying to capture them. One of these men was Staff Sergeant Lawrence Allen of the U.S. Army, whose helicopter had been forced down by ground fire south of Chu Lai. Allen and three other NCOs had been attacked with grenades and automatic weapons fire, leaving them wounded and out of ammunition.

Despite multiple aircraft in the area unable to help due to heavy mortar and automatic weapons fire, Pless and his crew – Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Poulson, Lance Corporal John Phelps, and Captain Rupert Fairfield – unanimously decided to attempt a rescue. When they arrived, they witnessed a horrifying scene: 30-50 Viet Cong forces were actively attacking the Americans, with one soldier being beaten with a rifle butt after he had tried to wave for help.

Without hesitation, Pless ordered his gunner to open fire and executed a series of aggressive attack runs with rockets and guns, firing from extremely low altitude to drive back the enemy forces. His airmanship was so extraordinary that his own crew chief, Phelps, couldn’t believe what the helicopter was capable of doing. Their white phosphorus rockets scored direct hits, and when the smoke cleared, they could see bodies everywhere.

Pless then landed his UH-1 helicopter between the wounded Americans and the enemy, using it as a shield while his crew rushed out to rescue the survivors. During the rescue, they fought off Viet Cong soldiers who had closed to within feet of the aircraft. Fairfield personally killed three Viet Cong who had approached within ten feet of the helicopter’s tail. Allen, though wounded, helped defend the helicopter with a machine gun while the crew rescued his comrades.

The soft, powdery sand made the rescue extremely difficult, especially for the larger men. The crew had to work together, alternating between dragging the wounded and firing their weapons at approaching enemy forces. After confirming that the fourth American had been killed (his throat had been cut), they departed with the three survivors, leaving the fallen soldier for a Vietnamese H-34 helicopter to recover.

The takeoff was harrowing – the helicopter was at least 500 pounds over its maximum weight limit and bounced off the waves four times before finally gaining enough speed to fly. Unknown to them at the time, their helicopter had sustained severe damage including a severed tail rotor drive shaft and engine oil line – damage that should have caused them to crash.

The mission resulted in 20 confirmed enemy killed, with an estimated 38 more. More importantly, Pless and his crew saved three American lives through their extraordinary courage and determination. For their actions that day, Pless would receive the Medal of Honor, while Fairfield, Poulson, and Phelps were awarded the Navy Cross. Staff Sergeant Allen, one of the survivors, received the Silver Star.

The rescue was particularly remarkable because while several other aircraft, including Army UH-1Es and jets, were in the area, only Pless and his crew were willing to attempt the desperate rescue. Their decisive action and incredible bravery saved the lives of three American soldiers who would have otherwise certainly been killed, as Staff Sergeant Allen himself attested in his statement.

Pless returned to the U.S. in 1967 and continued his service in various roles, eventually being promoted to major. Tragically, on July 20, 1969, he was killed in a motorcycle accident in Pensacola, Florida, when his motorcycle plunged off a drawbridge. Throughout his career, Pless received numerous decorations, including the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and 32 Air Medals. He was the 18th Marine to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in Vietnam.

At the POPASMOKE 2004 Reunion, I was given the extraordinary honor of sitting at a dinner table with Nancy Pless, Steve’s mother, along with Phelps, Poulson, and Allen. As I looked around the table, I couldn’t help but feel like I was in the presence of legends, men whose names were synonymous with strength, courage, and sacrifice. The experience was nothing short of surreal, almost like I had stepped outside myself and was watching it all unfold from a distance.

I’ll never forget the emotions that flooded me as I sat there, taking in every word, every story, every glance exchanged. The humility I felt was profound. Here I was, a small piece of a much larger story, at a table with men who had lived that story. The weight of their experiences, their legacy, was palpable, and I honestly couldn’t believe I was sharing that space with them. The honor of it all was so overwhelming that at one point, I had to excuse myself. I could barely contain the surge of emotions that took over. I walked away, not because I wanted to, but because I was simply overcome.

I felt so unworthy in that moment, and I still do. It’s hard to put into words what it felt like to be in the company of such incredible individuals. To sit there, listening to their stories, feeling their presence, and realizing that I had been allowed to be a part of that night, it was a gift, but also a reminder of the vastness of what I would never fully understand. Even now, reflecting on that evening, I still struggle to express the depth of gratitude and awe I felt. It was a moment I will carry with me forever, one that continues to shape how I see those who came before me and the legacy they left behind.

~Cpl. Beddoe