Stephen W. Pless
| Stephen W. Pless | |
|---|---|
 
Major Stephen W. Pless, USMC
|
|
| Born |
September 6, 1939 Newnan, Georgia |
| Died | July 20, 1969 (aged 29) Pensacola, Florida |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1956 - 1969 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | VMO-6 |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Distinguished Flying Cross Silver Star Bronze Star Air Medal Purple Heart |
Stephen Wesley Pless (September 6, 1939 – July 20, 1969) was a major in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He earned the Medal of Honor as a UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopter pilot for rescuing soldiers trapped by heavy enemy fire.
Pless was born Stephen Pollard on September 6, 1939, in Newnan, Georgia. After his parents divorced, his mother Nancy Lassetter Pollard moved to Atlanta and remarried, to Berlin Pless. Stephen was adopted by his stepfather and took the Pless surname. He attended Decatur High School in Decatur before transferring to Georgia Military Academy in College Park, graduating from that school in 1957.
While a senior at Georgia Military Academy, Pless enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve on September 6, 1956, and served with the 1st Motor Transport Battalion in Atlanta. After graduation, he attended recruit training and advanced combat training at Parris Island, South Carolina, finishing in October 1957. He then served as an artillery surveyor with the 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, until September 1958.
While attending flight training at Pensacola, Florida, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant on September 16, 1959. He was promoted to first lieutenant on March 16, 1960, and designated a naval aviator upon graduation from flight training on April 20, 1960.
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