Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Five U.S. Marines tragically lost their lives in a helicopter accident during retrograde operations Sept. 23, 1972, on Grytoya Island in Norway as part of Operation Strong Express. Among the fallen was 1st Lt. 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 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 produced by Lance Cpl. Jacob Richardson, Staff Sgt. Donato Maffin, and Master Sgt. Robert Brown)
Five U.S. Marines tragically lost their lives in a helicopter accident during retrograde operations Sept. 23, 1972, on Grytoya Island in Norway as part of Operation Strong Express. Among the fallen was 1st Lt. 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 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 produced by Lance Cpl. Jacob Richardson, Staff Sgt. Donato Maffin, and Master Sgt. Robert Brown)
