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In those days, America dedicated a task-force capability to the recovery of our pilots & the pilots flew close to the "edge of the envelope" knowing that this dedicated force was there to bring them home. On this day, the "King-Bird", the "Sandies", the "FAC's" & the "Jolly Green Giants" showed up for him like they had for so many others. The team cleared the area, the
helicopter found him & the PJ's deployed down the hoist to get him. They recovered him, rendered necessary aid, put him in the recovery basket, hoisted him aboard the helicopter & took him to the care he required. Once back at the base he was handed over to the hospital folks, then the rescue folks went to ready themselves for the next "Save".
After months of medical care, multiple operations, numerous hospitals from Viet Nam, thru Clark AFB to CONUS & ultimately back home Mr. DeVoss' focus was to try walking again & to learn how to use his injured arm with a goal to
return to flying & his USAF career. Within the next 5 years he was successful in getting on his feet & out of the leg braces & back to a reasonably normal life. It became apparent though, that his medical retirement would be a permanent requirement & so he went about readjusting to civilian life. He completed his Masters Degree & then was employed by AMWAY Corp. & enjoyed a very successful career.
In this past 30 years, he also was a motivational speaker for AMWAY to literally thousands of folks. He told them his story of flying, his rescue, & all the folks along that chain of events who dedicated themselves to his preservation & life--from flying instructors, the SERE instructors, the aircraft & crews of his rescue, the PJ's who hoisted him out of the jungle, the medical techicians, the doctors, the nurses, the VA folks & all those along the way that brought him back & gave him back his life. On this day at SOMA he was able, for the first time, to address folks that are descendents of the rescue tradition & his thanks were sincere, from the heart & touching.
He thanked us for his marriage of over 30 years, for his two children & for all his successes. His oldest child is a Ph.D. Professor at Michigan State Univ. & his youngest is finishing his Ph.D. in Immunology at Stanford Univ..