Lt. Col. Arthur “Ted” Ballard was an experienced Air Force aviator who flew dozens of combat missions in his F-105 jet. He earned a Distinguished Flying Cross before being shot down during a bombing run over North Vietnam in September 1966.
He survived 2,351 days and seven Christmas holidays in captivity at various prisoner-of-war camps, including the notorious “Hanoi Hilton.”
Perhaps his most powerful contributions to the Vietnam War record, beyond even his combat achievements, were the recollections he penned in a series called “Christmas in the Dungeons of North Vietnam.”
Ballard shared his experiences during the Christmas seasons from 1966 to 1972 until his release six and a half years later as part of Operation Homecoming on March 4, 1973.
