Daring helicopter rescue earns Vietnam veteran Medal of Honor 55 years later

Army attack helicopter pilot Larry Taylor scrambled to rescue a small patrol of soldiers surrounded by enemies on the ground in Vietnam, according to a dramatic account he and the men he helped save tell about the life-and-death moments more than five decades ago.

Flying them out seemed to be the only option, but there was a problem: his Cobra gunship had no room inside. With bold action and quick thinking, he found a way to get them out of danger.

More than 55 years later, Taylor's heroism will be recognized by President Joe Biden when he is awarded the Medal of Honor on Sept. 5, an upgrade from the Silver Star he originally received, the White House announced Friday.

On the night of June 18, 1968, a four-man long-range reconnaissance team saw through its night-vision scope that it was completely surrounded by hostile forces on a mission northeast of Saigon. It seemed inevitable they would soon be discovered and overrun, David Hill, a member of the team, recalled during a roundtable with reporters Monday.

When Hill's team leader, Bob Elsner, radioed for support, Taylor, his co-pilot, and another Cobra crew were put into action.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/daring-helicopter-rescue-earns-vietnam-veteran-medal-honor/story?id=102761360