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Old 08-23-2003, 01:42 PM
thedrifter thedrifter is offline
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Cool Gone, but not forgotten by Marines: Family of Medal of Honor recipient visits Pless H

Gone, but not forgotten by Marines: Family of Medal of Honor recipient visits Pless Hall
Submitted by: MCB Hawaii
Story Identification Number: 2003822171857
Story by Sgt. Joe Lindsay



MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii(Aug. 22, 2003) -- The annals of Marine Corps history are filled with many heroes, and though it would perhaps be unwise to compare their valor and sacrifice, it would be safe to say that Maj. Stephen W. Pless, the first and only Marine aviator to receive the Medal of Honor in Vietnam, was as brave as they come.

Pless, a Newnan, Ga., native, who survived 780 combat helicopter missions in Vietnam, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in Pensacola, Fla., on July 20, 1969, just six months after being presented with the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon Baines Johnson at a White House ceremony.

Pless was survived by his pregnant wife, Jo Ann, (who had their fourth child two months after his death); mother, Nancy; and older brother Travis. Also surviving Pless was his first cousin, Ken Ray, who was more like a brother than a cousin to Pless, as the two were often raised together in the same house.

Recently, Ray, a native of Decatur, Ga., and his wife, Dina, a native of Lake Jackson, Texas, visited MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, to see the installation where Pless was once stationed. They especially were interested in visiting Pless Hall, the building named for Ray's cousin, which now serves as home to the Base Thrift Shop.

"It means an awful lot for me to visit here," said Ray, who now, along with his wife, calls Jackson, Miss., home. "Stephen and I grew up together, and it has always been a dream of mine to visit Kaneohe Bay and see the hall named after him. His memory is very special to our entire family."

That memory is especially strong to Ray's aunt Nancy (Pless's mother). She requested that her nephew come back home with photos of the hall.

"Ever since Stephen's death, the Marine Corps has stayed in touch with Nancy," said Ray. "It just shows that when the Marine Corps says things like 'Once a Marine, Always a Marine,' and 'Semper Fi,' that these are not just catch phrases, but that there is real meaning and merit behind the words.

"The Marine Corps is like a family, and they don't forget their own. That has meant so much to our family over the years."
The Rays recently had twin sons, the oldest (albeit by two minutes) they named Aidan Stephen.

"I never knew Steve, but I've heard so much about him," said Dina, her voice drifting off into tears. "Now that we have a child named after him, his legacy means so much personally to me now.

"I want my sons to know all about him, and what he did for his country," she said.

One place where little Aidan Stephen could learn more about his famous cousin when he gets older would simply be from asking any Marine he might run into, as Pless remains one of Corps' greatest legends.

"In boot camp, we learn about all the heroes of the Marine Corps," said Cpl. Steven Jenkins, a Headquarters Bn., MCB Hawaii, administrative clerk. "Of course, Chesty Puller, Dan Daly and Smedley Butler always jump to a Marine's mind, but Major Stephen Pless is one Marine that always stands out for me.

"For one, he basically went on a suicide mission to save those men in Vietnam," Jenkins explained. "He had to know there was probably no way he was going to survive, but he refused to leave American fighting men behind.

"Somehow he survived and got them all to safety. That's why Marines fight so hard, because they know there are men like Major Pless who've got their backs. That's why Marines are called a brotherhood.

"Major Pless is the poster of what you would want a Marine to be."

Indeed, Pless had a storied military career, Medal of Honor notwithstanding. When he was promoted to the rank of major, Pless became the youngest Marine officer of that rank in the Marine Corps.

Among his medals and ribbons - which are far too numerous to mention in their entirety - are the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V and the Purple Heart.

"Stephen started out as an enlisted man, and had great aspirations," said Ray. "He had it in his mind that he was going to be commandant some day. There were no selfish motives behind his dream; he was just a goal setter. He was an inspiration.

"God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and I think Stephen was an example of that," added Ray. "He was my hero long before he became a hero in the war. He always will be."



Maj. Stephen W. Pless was the first and only Marine aviator to receive America's highest and most-revered medal -- the Medal or Honor -- for bravery and courage in Vietnam.
Photo by: Official U.S.M.C. Photo from Pless Archives




Stephen W. Pless (left) and his brother, Travis, salute the camera in this 1942 photo. Both boys went on to join the military as young men -- more than 20 years later, Stephen would receive the Medal of Honor for heroism during combat in Vietnam.
Photo by: Courtesy of Pless family




(Left to Right) Lance Cpl. John Phelps, Maj. Stephen W. Pless, Capt. Rupert Fairfield, and Gunnery Sgt. Leroy Poulson, pose for a photo in Da Nang, Vietnam, following their daring rescue mission. Pless was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, and all other members of his crew received the Navy Cross.
Photo by: Official U.S.M.C. Photo from Pless Archives


continued.......
__________________
IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND
SSgt. Roger A.
One Proud Marine
1961-1977
68/69
Once A Marine............Always A Marine.............

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Old 08-23-2003, 01:42 PM
thedrifter thedrifter is offline
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President Lyndon B. Johnson presents the Medal of Honor to Maj. Stephen W. Pless during a White House ceremony. Pless was the first, and only, Marine aviator to receive the medal for service during the war in Vietnam.
Photo by: Official U.S.M.C. Photo from Pless Archives





Nancy Pless, mother of Marine aviator and Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Stephen W. Pless, still remains in close contact with the Corps.
Photo by: Courtesy of the Pless family




Service members render honors at the funeral of Maj. Stephen W. Pless, the first and only Marine aviator to receive America's highest and most-revered medal -- the Medal or Honor -- for bravery and courage in Vietnam.
Photo by: Official U.S.M.C. Photo from Pless Archives



Sempers,

Roger
__________________
IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND
SSgt. Roger A.
One Proud Marine
1961-1977
68/69
Once A Marine............Always A Marine.............

http://www.geocities.com/thedrifter001/
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