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Video by Master Sgt. Robert Brown, Staff Sgt. Donato Maffin, Cpl. Jacob Richardson

Short Stop 24

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa

Sept. 23, 2023 | 10:46

Five U.S. Marines tragically lost their lives in a helicopter accident during retrograde operations on September 23, 1972, on Grytoya Island in Norway as part of Operation Strong Express. Among the fallen was First Lieutenant Henry N. Pilger, who served as the co-pilot of the ill-fated aircraft. Years later, a local Norwegian hiker stumbled upon an unexpected discovery: Pilger's Naval Academy ring on the very island where the tragic crash had occurred. This poignant documentary delves into the remarkable journey of the ring, its eventual return to the Marine's grieving family, and the enduring memorial erected in honor of these brave Marines. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Corporal Jacob Richardson, Staff Sergeant Donato Maffin, and Master Sergeant Robert Brown)