On 02 March 1970 a recon team from C Company, 1st Recon Battalion, operating about 10 miles northwest of the An Hoa, Quang Nam Province, engaged in a firefight with enemy forces. The team leader, 2ndLt David Skibbe, and another Marine were wounded in the action and Skibbe, whose lower right leg had been broken by gunshot, decided to call for helicopter extraction.

The helo crew immediately radioed the patrol and through miscommunication each thought 2ndLt Skibbe was safe with the other. The helo lowered an extraction ladder, the remaining men of the patrol attached themselves to the ladder, and the extraction helos returned to An Hoa. On arrival they discovered 2ndLt Skibbe had been left behind. Skibbe's ,Company Commander, Captain Lavoy D. McVey was aboard the extraction helo and immediately returned to the scene with the intent of being inserted to locate Skibbe - but during the insertion Captain McVey too fell, apparently to his death. The combination of dense jungle and enemy presence led to a decision against any further attempts to recover the two men.

Captain McVey was awarded a posthumous Silver Star for his unhesitating action to attempt the recovery of Skibbe's body. Skibbe was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during and after the firefight.