Library of Congress
The iconic black and white POW/MIA flag is not just a symbol; it’s a promise. A promise that as a nation, we will never forget. A promise that we remain unwavering in our efforts to bring every missing service member home. It is a daily reminder that in the heart of our commitment lies the essence of hope, respect, and an enduring love for our American heroes. May our hearts go out to the loved
The Vietnam War lasted almost 20 years. It was the first war the U.S. had lost. However, the return home of the Prisoners-of-War was widely celebrated. They were held captive for almost nine years, the longest of any American war. Those pilots who survived shootdown were held in secluded prisons, hidden from the outside world except for occasional propaganda films.In 1992 I received permission from the Vietnam government to return to Hanoi and the prison
Colonel Bob Waggoner (Ret), a towering but gentle man and fly fishing guide, was shot down over North Vietnam and spent 6 ½ years as a POW, including time at the Hanoi Hilton with John McCain. This is his story from an interview my son did for a History Day Project in 2009.
In 1972, as the Paris Peace Accords drew to a conclusion, young William Reeder, Jr. was a Captain in the U.S. Army, assigned to an AH-1G Cobra Attack Helicopter in Vietnam. For many servicemen and women, the Vietnam War was over for the U.S. military. Reeder was afraid he missed the opportunity to see combat as a Cobra gunship pilot. The North Vietnamese had other plans, however, and the Easter Offensive changed Reeder’s life forever.
Major Joe Crecca, a veteran of the Air Force remembers in vivid detail the November day in 1966 when his F-4 was shot down.
