The Rescue Team

We received an email from Scott Gifford on February 13, 2020, stating: "I had the privilege and honor to sit down with Dave Martin’s family about ten years ago. I placed this photo down during our conversations and said I would like to try to identify all of them. Everyone leaned over and super super fast rattled off everyone’s name except the short guy third from right whom they described as “a city slicker” and that is a direct quote! He is too short to be Marty. I have found out since he was an animal handler “from Hollywood”. I don’t know if he was from MGM or the circus, but I did find his photo in another book with the cage on another truck getting ready to leave Payson. Left to right is Dave
Martin, Walter Haught, Lou Kohl, Henry Steele, the city slicker, Columbus “Boy” Haught, and Sam Haught. I also have the names of the four mules used in the rescue. I’ll have to look them up."

Source: Jensen Papers @ Univ. of Wyoming.

(Editor's Note: It is quite likely that Bill Boardman was on the rescue team since he is credited with taking the photos of the crash scene.  He therefore is the most likely photographer of this picture. It appears that Lewis Pyle and Bill Haley are not pictured. Pyle was definitely on the rescue team as he appears in this photo beside the wreckage. The short "city slicker" referred to above is possibly Leo Kratzberg said by Frank Gillette to be a "sort of trouble shooter for MGM."  However, there is a discrepancy in Gillette's account.  Gillette said Kratzberg was "tall and slim."  Not.

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Above are the cowboys most likely on the actual team that rescued the lion. This photo appears on Page 12 of Frank Gillette's book "Pleasant Valley."  We have also seen the photo in other venues.  Our source for this photo is the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

It is a top priority to learn the names of the men in this photo.  According to Gillette, the man on the right is Green Valley Sam Haught.  Supposedly the small man with the odd hat is pilot Martin Jensen,  According to Gillette other members of the team were: Boy Haught, Louie Pyle, Ernie Sweet and Henry Steel.

Meanwhile, a 1968 document written by Ralph A. Fisher Sr. summarizes an prior interview with Bill Boardman.  Fisher indicated Boardman said the rescue team included Dave Martin, Lewis Pyle, Walter Haught and Bill Haley, as well as Sam Haught.  It appears to be inferred that Boardman came along as well.  See: https://issuu.com/arizonahistorystories/docs/william__bill__boardman_interview

A 1962 Arizona Republic newspaper article included Walter Haught, Dave Martin and Bill Haley in the rescue team.  The further complicate matters, a 2010 Rim Country Gazette article says Lou Kohl participated.  Hopefully, someone can help us straight out the identities of the men in this picture.
Below is a screen clip of the 1962 AZREP article.
Source: http://bit.ly/31Fdjvl