Fifteen Iowans who were held as prisoners of war will be honored with P-O-W medals in a ceremony this morning in northeast Iowa. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley will present the medals to the veterans or surviving family members in the 9-45 service at Rose Hill Cemetery in Fredericksburg. Grassley says this is an important day. Today’s service in Fredericksburg will include a fly-over by Iowa Air National Guard F-16s in an aerial salute. Earlier this decade, Grassley served on the Senate Select Committee that investigated the P-O-W issue. More than a million Americans have died in the line of duty, serving this country. Grassley says Iowans should show respect on this holiday.The following is a list of the fifteen P-O-W’s being honored today, the wars they served in and their hometowns
Vietnam War POW to speak at Norton Air Force Base Museum (Raymond Merritt)
For US Air Force Col. Raymond J. Merritt, his accommodations in North Vietnam between 1965 and 1973 left a lot to be desired. Merritt, a former fighter pilot, was shot down by anti-aircraft fire in September 1965 and held captive at a number of camps, including the infamous “Hanoi Hilton.”
