I got two. I got three. I got four. I got five. The crew and the rescued team members waited for the last man to emerge from the smoke.
Every American soldier is that way.
That's who we are. The last man, the team leader, finally made it to the gunner and the helicopter dragged him through the river as it pulled out under heavy enemy fire. That story is the story of helicopter pilots in the great Vietnam War. Just as the story of Fleming's left-door gunner who turned to drugs and crime as a result of the war represents the dark side of the Vietnam War, Fleming recognizes that his story represents the heroism that was pervasive in the war and the courage of the human spirit in adversity. And he accepts the responsibility of being the man behind the medal.