In 1968, John Cheney (SFC) and I received a pilot recovery mission near the Cambodian border. We took 20 Cambodes and two Navy Officers. The downed pilot's wingman and a ANGLICO officer (both Lieutenants).
The ANGLICO officer took exception(at first) that he would be under the command of an Army SFC and a SSG but after Bob Lunday (Major) explained the concept of "ground commander", he accepted it.
We spent several hours blowing portions of the plane off trying to get to the cock pit and about 1500 hours, we were alerted that a Flying Crane was enroute to hook the plane and bring it to Cu Chi. As the Flying Crane arrived, we started taking mortar fire. The Flying Crane was aborted and Cheney and I went back to using our C-4 and Det Cord on the inverted jet. The enemy mortars kept coming in, but no one was hit.
Eventually the ANGLICO officer called for Naval Gunfire from a Battle Ship and when it came in, all enemy indirect fire ceased. We still received occasional small arms fire.
Just before dark, the downed pilot came in and declared that he had been watching our efforts all day but because of the Cambodes in tiger striped fatigues, he thought that we might be NVA. The naval gunfire convinced him that we must be friendlies, so he came in.
The three Naval Officers all received the Combat Action Ribbon for their participation in this mission. The Navy sent Cheney a recommendation for award of the Bronze Star Medal for the ANGLIC
O officer for calling Naval gunfire while we were engaged with a hostile force. The pilot of the Flying Crane received a DFC and the rest of his crew were awarded Air Medals.
Cheney and I got to keep our jobs.