re: I've seen some pretty amazing stories about the B-17 but....

Cool story about Pardo's Push. Ironic that it took 20 years for him to be awarded the Silver Star.

Jack Jacobs tells a story kind of similar about his evacuation and rescue in Vietnam. Jacobs was an ARVN advisor and his unit came under heavy direct and indirect fire. (Jacobs' MOH citation tells of him saving the lives of a US Sgt. and 13 ARVN soldiers.) He consolidated his wounded and called for MedEvac, but they wouldn't come in because of the heavy fire. (Apparently, US Army policy was no hot LZ medevacs at this point in the war, 1967. Same thing happened at Ia Drang.)

Jacobs is wounded badly, his Sgt. dying and he figured they're all screwed. Next thing he sees is a Navy UH-1 landing. The Navy pilot shuttled them all to a safer area, where MedEvac would land. He then flys away. Jacobs never knew his name.

While Jabobs was in the hospital recovering, a Naval officer in dress whites appears at his bedside and tells him he has some questions for him.
Questions about what?
I'm conducting an Article 32 investigation.
What did I do?
Nothing, but the pilot who picked you up is being investigated for hazarding his aircraft.

Jacobs says he went nuts, screaming at the guy about how the pilot saved all their lives and that he was so upset the nurses had to restrain him and the investigator left.

Twenty or thirty years later, he was at a Navy function and someone brought up the Army/Navy interservice rivalry. Jacobs tells that he loves the Navy. The Navy folks laugh. Jacobs tells them, "No, really. I LOVE the Navy!" and he proceeds to tell his story of being rescued. One of the people there had heard of the story and knew the pilot, Wes Weseleskey. He told Jacobs that not only was the investigation eventually dropped, but Weseleskey was awarded the Navy Cross and retired as a Captain.