Vietnam War POW to speak at Norton Air Force Base Museum (Raymond Merritt)

Former POW honored for Vietnam War service (William Byrns)

It was late in the day, William Byrns sat in an old bomb crater, covered in leaves and mud from the surrounding Vietnamese jungle. Byrns clutched his radio tightly, waiting for a response. When the response finally came, it was not what he wanted to hear, “We can’t get you

Faith, determination of POW key to survival (Paul Montague)

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Paul Montague enlisted in 1952. Sixteen years later, on March 28, 1968, he was captured by the Vietnamese armed forces, the Viet Cong. The helicopter pilot was flying his CH-46 Sea Knight when he was shot down trying to pick up a recovery team that

50 years later, Operation Homecoming a ‘symbol of the last warriors’ returning from Vietnam (Guarino, McNish)

Operation Homecoming, which freed now-retired Col. Tom McNish and more than 600 prisoners of war from Vietnam 50 years ago this spring, was the best military operation of McNish’s 34-year career. “Due to Operation Homecoming and the totally nourishing environment that it put us in immediately after getting out of

Behind Barbed Wire: A POW’s Story (Ed Leonard)

I arrived at Udorn RTAFB in early May, 1967, to fly A-1E and A1-H Skyraider with the 602nd Fighter Squadron (Commando). I was to fly 247 combat missions during three consecutive tours and participated in the rescue of 18 aircrew members. On May 31, 1968, going for number 19, I

Ring returned to Vietnam POW 44 years after imprisonment (Hivner, Barrett)

With the traditional “I do’s” and exchange of wedding bands some 54 years ago on Oct. 1, 1955, James and Phyllis Hivner began their life’s journey together which, like many young couples, began with not knowing what the future held. That journey was rocked 10 years later, almost to the day, when then-Capt.