A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter extracts personnel by rope during the climactic phase of Operation Tailwind, the September 1970 MACV-SOG raid into Laos. When dense jungle terrain prevented the helicopter from landing, crews used emergency rope extraction rigs to lift soldiers to safety while under fire, a harrowing but life-saving technique that brought the Hatchet Force team home. Project: 219514