And it did sometimes get way out of control: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_of_Bat_21_Bravo

My neighbor was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, the one mentioned in this article who came back with over 100 bullet holes in his helicopter after the rescue operation: https://historynet.com/rescue-in-death-valley-with-hhm-163-t... That rescue wasn't to retrieve a pilot, but nearly 200 soldiers being overrun.

It's difficult to squeeze stories out of him, but mostly because it was so long ago and ancient history to him. Just to put his timeline in perspective, after the war he befriended a captain of the White Russian Navy who had to flee after the Russian Revolution. Alot of White Russians ended up in San Francisco, which is where my neighbor settled down in the 60s. He was also a military escort for Nelson Rockefeller, I think during one his campaigns. Needless to say, he's not a fan of where the Republican Party has ended up since Rockefeller's days.

Thanks for sharing, that's a crazy read.