U.S. Air Force Capt. William R. Austin II and his aircraft commander, Maj. Ivan D. Appleby, had out-maneuvered certain death hundreds of times before they got hit. A fighter pilot with the storied “Triple Nickle” 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Austin had flown 80 combat missions over North Vietnam in the powerful F-4 Phantom II, despite the enemy’s relentless attempts to make each a one-way trip. By the time he landed his 80th mission in the fall of 1967, he’d earned a Silver Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 10 Air Medals.
Hanoi Allows Interview With 2 P.O.W.’s (William Mayhew)
Seven American prisoners of war were seen and two were interviewed by this reporter to day in a small prison camp on the outskirts of Hanoi. They indicated that the con ditions of their captivity were satisfactory, and they spoke calmly but with obvious feeling about the war and of
