While flying a Dustoff evacuation mission in a helicopter commanded by Major Nelson Luce, the helicopter came under intense enemy fire. Bill was wearing one of the experimental ballistic flight helmets when an enemy AK-47's bullet trajectory passed between Bill's face and the front edge of his flight helmet. The bullet entered the open space between his head and the helmet following the interior curvature of the helmet finally exiting out of the backside of the flight helmet. Bill was rendered unconscious and fell back on the cargo floor of the helicopter. Enroute from the landing zone to the hospital, Bill laid motionless. Some twentyminutes later when they reached the hospital landing pad, Bill sat upright--scaring all of those around him who just knew he had to be dead. Bill returned to work even with a splitting headache and continued to do his assigned job--never checking into the hospital for observation or treatment. Nearly 40 years after the incident, Bill was awarded the Purple Heart. Sadly, the presentation occurred in the intensive care unit after he had suffered a major stroke. He died later the morning of September 25, 2007.
