My ship was called off her normal patrol station and directed to steam directly towards the N Vietnamese coast and participate in a search and rescue operation. An F4 Phantom had been shot down and the pilot and his back seat man were in the water. When we got there, the whole world lit up, we turned on all our spots and floods, and helos from the carriers were everywhere, dropping flares and shining searchlights on the water. For as far as the eye could see, the surface of the sea was covered with little pieces of floating white plastic (it looked like styrofoam). Apparently, other than the engines, metal skin and a few struts, most of the plane's internal structure was plastic. When it hit the water, it just disintegrated. Somewhere in the middle of a vast debris field the few metal components rested on the sea bed.

We found the pilot, floating like a baby in a tiny life raft, and pulled him safely aboard. All we found of his weapons officer was an empty helmet. Supposedly, the pilot had been in the water for 20 minutes when we got to him. His remark to the Chief that winched him out of the sea was "What kept you?"

We were within easy artillery range of the beach. As soon as the man was safe aboard the lights from our ship and our aircraft went out, as if someone had thrown a switch. A sailor with an M1 sank the raft so the enemy would have no trophy and we steamed back out into the dark at flank speed.