William Butler, veteran and volunteer, dies

Breckner, former fighter pilot, dies in car crash (William Breckner)

A former fighter pilot and prisoner of war in Vietnam who retired from the Air Force as a major general has died in a crash on Colorado 105. State troopers say William “Bud” Breckner, 74, of Monument, was driving home when he lost control on a curve and slid into

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

Former Vietnam POWs posthumously honored at Niagara County Courthouse (John Anderson)

Almost 50 years ago to the days that Gen. George Everette “Bud” Day and Master Sgt. John T. Anderson II were released from prisoner-of-war camps in North Vietnam, the two Vietnam veterans were posthumously honored at the Niagara County Courthouse. As part of Thursday’s ceremony, pictures and brief biographies of

Col. Vernon P. Ligon Jr., Vietnam POW

Between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day lies a lesser-known but no less important commemoration. POW/MIA Day, Sept. 15, is a day for remembering the men and women who, like Air Force Col. Vernon P. Ligon Jr., have suffered at the hands of a wartime enemy. All too often, those who

Former San Pedro POW recalls captivity with John McCain (John Fer)

Isolated, they tapped on walls to communicate with each other in the beginning. Later, with a little more freedom granted, they played bridge together, shared some of the rotating Sunday chaplain duties and encouraged each other with the recitations from movies, books and poetry. The memories, now half a century