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About Maj Pless

Major Stephen Pless, a Medal of Honor recipient and Vietnam War hero lends his name to aDoor Property Management’s Pless Landing.
StephenPless
Crew Photo

Journey of Major Pless

Though born in Georgia, Major Pless considered Pensacola his home. He and his wife resided in Pensacola until his passing in 1969, and he now rests at Barrancas National Cemetery, just a stone’s throw from Navy Point.

During the Vietnam War, then-Captain Pless, a Marine Corps pilot, earned numerous accolades for his valor, including the Congressional Medal of Honor, presented by President Lyndon B. Johnson, along with a Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, and 32 Air Medals. Remarkably, he flew over 780 combat missions, standing as the sole Marine aviator to receive the Medal of Honor during the entirety of the conflict.

Pless Crew
In a defining moment of bravery, Major Pless responded to an emergency call while on an escort mission in Vietnam, where four American soldiers found themselves stranded on a beach. Despite the perilous circumstances and the reluctance of other aviators to intervene, Pless, along with his crew—Captain Rupert E. Fairfield, Gunnery Sergeant Leroy N. Poulson, and crew chief Lance Corporal John G. Phelps—unanimously chose to attempt a rescue. Their daring efforts, navigating low altitudes and evading enemy fire, ultimately succeeded in retrieving all the wounded soldiers and returning them to safety despite facing overwhelming odds.

While it’s impossible to replicate the extraordinary acts of courage displayed by Major Pless and his crew that day, we can honor their legacy. Pless Landing, with roads named after each member of the heroic crew, serves as a lasting tribute to their courage and sacrifice—a piece of history that Pensacola can proudly cherish for generations to come.

Pless Crew
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