"An Khe" is the 102nd The West Wing episode and 14th of the fifth season. It originally aired on NBC on February 18, 2004. Events circle around the rescue of five US pilots shot down over North Korea. Written by John Wells and directed by Alex Graves, the episode contains guest appearances by Philip Baker Hall, Jeffrey DeMunn and Jay Mohr. It also earned John Spencer an Emmy nomination. Plot A US E-2 Hawkeye AEW aircraft goes down over North Korea, and five crew members are lost in enemy territory. President Bartlet, faced with the choice between negotiations with the North Korean government and attempting a rescue operation, chooses the latter. The operation is successful in retrieving the crewmembers, but one of the SEALs dies due to complications from the jump-in. The event brings back memories for Leo about his own time serving in the Vietnam War, when his life was saved by his good friend Kenneth Sean "Ken" O'Neal (DeMunn). Ken, now the CEO of Mueller-Wright Aeronautics, a major defense contractor (and a company Leo also used to work for) is currently having difficulties with the Senate Armed Services committee over a $10 billion (originally just $6 billion) helicopter contract. Leo, in Chicago to present Ken with a humanitarian award, says he will look into it. When Leo confronts the committee's chairman, Arizona senator Matt Hunt (Hall) about the issue, the senator suggests there might be legitimate cause for scrutiny. Infuriated, Leo says that if Hunt calls for a hearing on the issue and has Ken subpoenaed, he will testify himself. Josh realizes the potential scandal if the White House Chief of Staff were to testify in a case concerning a company where he used to be a senior executive (easily susceptible to accusations of a conflict of interest). Josh tries to explain this, but Leo (in a rather knee-jerk manner) immediately dismisses him without hesitation, saying, "Thanks. I'll take it from here." Unnerved, Josh goes to Toby, and they both come to the conclusion that since Leo cannot be convinced by logic to come around to their position (as Josh says to Toby, "Leo knows he can't testify on behalf of a major defense contractor. What's he thinking?", to which Toby responds, "He's not thinking"), they bypass him and go straight to the Oval Office. The president immediately goes next door to see Leo, upholding his deputy's judgment,