U.S. Army – At a March 5 ceremony at Valley Forge Military Academy, nearly 57 years after rescuing more than 80 U.S. and South Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War, retired Army Capt. Larry Liss received the Silver Star medal. On the back of the medal, the words “For gallantry in action” are inscribed.
Liss originally received a Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions but that medal was upgraded to a Silver Star, thanks to the persistence of his brother and several members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation.
Liss said he was accepting the award for every helicopter pilot who has ever flown a combat mission.