Mr. Everett Alvarez is a prior Navy pilot and officer who served during the Vietnam War as a Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG, O-2). Mr. Alvarez was the first pilot shot down, captured, and held as a prisoner of war (POW) at the Hỏa Lò Prison, also known as the “Hanoi Hilton.”

Diploma caps long-fought struggle – Son draws on father’s experiences as Vietnam POW to accomplish goals (John Deering)
Told he would never walk again after a car accident left him a quadriplegic at age 15, earning a college degree was the last thing John Deering ever thought he’d care about. Against all odds, the White House resident graduated from Volunteer State Community College Dec. 12, earning a degree
