Sergeant Larry Wayne Maysey (May 18, 1946 – November 9, 1967) was a United States Air Force pararescueman who was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, the Air Force's second-highest decoration (after the Medal of Honor). Early life Maysey grew up in Chester Township, New Jersey and graduated from West Morris Regional High School (since renamed as West Morris Central High School). Soon after he graduated high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and 2 years later was sent to Vietnam. Air Force Cross Action On 8 November 1967 two HH-3E Jolly Green Giants of the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron were launched on a night mission to extract five survivors of a Special Forces reconnaissance team. The site was known to be hot, surrounded by a well-disciplined, People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) battalion. A Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) and a United States Army helicopter had already been shot down and destroyed. Illuminated by a C-130 Hercules flare ship dropping LUU-2 parachute flares, Jolly 29 made a pickup of three survivors before being driven off by intense enemy fire. Jolly 29, with heavy battle damage, landed at the USMC Khe Sanh Combat Base. Maysey's helicopter Jolly 26 then attempted to pick up the remaining two survivors, both now wounded. Fighting, both in the air and on the ground, was intense. Maysey jumped from the safety of Jolly 26, and ran down a steep slope rescuing the two remaining men. Jolly 26 was now being hit with small arms fire. Just after Maysey had helped both survivors safely on board, a rocket propelled grenade struck the number one engine, fatally crippling the craft. The engine exploded, inverting the aircraft, which rolled and skidded down a deep ravine and burst into flames; a pilot and one other man survived the crash. Maysey received the Air Force Cross posthumously. The pilot Captain Gerald Young was rescued later that day and subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor. Citation The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pride in presenting the Air Force Cross (Posthumously) to Sergeant Larry Wayne Maysey (AFSN: 12751422), United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as an HH-3E Rescue Specialist (Pararescueman) of the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, 3d Air Rescue and Recovery Group, DaNang Air Base,