Former POW Celebrates 30 Years Of Freedom (Charles Brown)

As U.S. prisoners of war in Iraq await their freedom, Col. Charles Brown, 439th Maintenance Group commander here recalled the end of his own POW experience 30 years earlier.

On April 1, 1973, a young, Captain Brown walked off a C-9 Nightingale onto the tarmac here after spending 101 days as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. He was imprisoned at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” after his B-52 Stratofortress was hit by a missile Dec. 19, 1972.

Brown’s experience as a POW takes on renewed significance in light of current events in Iraq. “It brings back old memories,” he said.

Other Publications You Might Be Interested In

Prep School POW/MIA Day (Paul Robinson)

“Paul K. “P.K.” Robinson, Jr., was born January 5, 1939, in Galion, Ohio. He graduated from Galion Senior High School in 1957. During his school years, he was on the National Honor Society and lettered on the football and baseball teams. Following graduation from High School, “P.K.” attended one year

Read More »

David B. Grant: Phantom Pilot and Prisoner of War

On June 24, 1972, U.S. Air Force Captain David B. Grant was flying a mission couple posing for picturefrom Thailand into conflict-ridden North Vietnam when his F-4 Phantom took a direct hit and exploded. The fuselage was separating when both Grant and his “back-seater,” Bill, ejected through the fireball. They

Read More »

Pure Torture – Col. Tom Moe (Tom Moe)

I was hiding under a log. Doing my best to masquerade as North Vietnam terrain, I’d pulled branches on top of me, smeared mud on my face, and arranged leaves and other foliage to stick out of my clothes. I was 20 miles behind enemy lines, having parachuted out of

Read More »