TSgt. Allen J. Avery, of Arlington, Mass., will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday—exactly 40 years to the day of his HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant crashing in Quang Tri Province in South Vietnam. Allen was one of six airmen flying in the helicopter on a combat search and rescue mission that day when enemy ground fire struck the platform and it crashed. In 2010, as a result of mitochondrial DNA testing, Defense Department forensic scientists were able to identify four of the six airmen, including Avery, from sets of remains recovered as far back as 1988. (Defense Department release)
When Airmen eject, the mission is clear: America leaves no warrior behind. Airmen are trained to survive, evade, resist, and escape the enemy, and everyone from ground crew to rescue personnel and commanders are committed to doing everything necessary—and possible—to bring downed Airmen home.