Lynyrd Skynyrd 40 years later: Survivors rescuers return to crash site in Mississippi
Fireman Jamie Wall
Gillsburg Volunteer Fireman Jamie Wall  was one of the first responders to the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash on Oct. 20  1977.  Wall  said  he  followed the spotlight of a Coast Guard helicopter to get to the the crash site  where  he  helped to free trapped passengers from the mangled plane with the same hatchet  he  brought to the site 40 years later. (Photo: Justin Vicory)
 Jamie Wall  and  his  brothers were volunteer firefighters in Gillsburg  Miss.  a small town about 8 miles southwest of the crash site.
 Wall  said after hearing about the crash   he  set out to the site using the spotlight of a Coast Guard helicopter to guide  him .
 He  brought two tools: a flashlight and a hatchet.
In  his  survey of the scene   Wall  said  he  was literally on top of some of the crash victims.
"I found someone on the ground alive "  he  said. "When I walked to the other side of the plane  I tripped on another person."
"I took out this hatchet  " Wall  said as  he  pulled out a rusted hatchet from a sheath on  his  hip. "I heard some screaming.  He  (Mark Howard) was pinned in a hole of the plane. I chopped  him  out."
The scene  with mangled bodies and cries for help  was overwhelming   Wall  said.
"I got down and prayed  " Wall  said   his  voice shaking. "I said  'I need help  God  to deal with this.'"
"When I got there  everyone was covered in blood "  he  said.
Everybody helped   Wall  explained to Howard at the crash site.
"It was people that didn't come to the site at all  " Wall  said.
"Some of them were out on that highway directing traffic. Some of them went home and got tractors. My wife was home on a CB radio. I'm relaying messages on CB to her  10 miles away. There were other people doing the same thing  " Wall  said of the crash site.
"It's so amazing that you could look in the plane and see my face and touch my face " Howard said to  Wall .
"We pulled somebody out. That was you "  Wall  said.
[TGT] was one of the first responders to the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash on Oct. 20  1977.   [TGT] said   [TGT]   followed the spotlight of a Coast Guard helicopter to get to the the crash site  where   [TGT]   helped to free trapped passengers from the mangled plane with the same hatchet   [TGT]   brought to the site 40 years later. (Photo: Justin Vicory)
  [TGT] and   [TGT]   brothers were volunteer firefighters in Gillsburg  Miss.  a small town about 8 miles southwest of the crash site.
  [TGT] said after hearing about the crash    [TGT]   set out to the site using the spotlight of a Coast Guard helicopter to guide   [TGT]  .
  [TGT]   brought two tools: a flashlight and a hatchet.
In   [TGT]   survey of the scene    [TGT] said   [TGT]   was literally on top of some of the crash victims.
"I found someone on the ground alive "  he  said. "When I walked to the other side of the plane  I tripped on another person."
"I took out this hatchet   [TGT] said as   [TGT]   pulled out a rusted hatchet from a sheath on   [TGT]   hip. "I heard some screaming.  He  (Mark Howard) was pinned in a hole of the plane. I chopped  him  out."
The scene  with mangled bodies and cries for help  was overwhelming    [TGT] said.
"I got down and prayed  "  [TGT] said    [TGT]   voice shaking. "I said  'I need help  God  to deal with this.'"
"When I got there  everyone was covered in blood "   [TGT]   said.
Everybody helped    [TGT] explained to Howard at the crash site.
"It was people that didn't come to the site at all  "  [TGT] said.
"Some of them were out on that highway directing traffic. Some of them went home and got tractors. My wife was home on a CB radio. I'm relaying messages on CB to her  10 miles away. There were other people doing the same thing   [TGT] said of the crash site.
"It's so amazing that you could look in the plane and see my face and touch my face " Howard said to  [TGT]  .
"We pulled somebody out. That was you "   [TGT] said.