I'm sure he did. But the version I heard was that he was assisting the injured near the impact site, and was starting to work his way into the actual fire, when a USMC Gunnery Sergeant reminded him of his duties...
But, then again, it IS a sea story. And the difference between a sea story and a fairy tale is that the latter begins with "Once upon a time" instead of "Now, this ain't no s***!"