Home to Crowd, Home to Quiet POW’s Returns to Cinnaminson, Alloway (Sima, Abbott)

How Dartmouth’s Fred Purrington went from standout athlete to prisoner of war

“He could play anywhere and do the job well,” Fredette was quoted as saying in a newspaper article highlighting Purrington’s two seasons with the Elks Pony League team. “He was one of those rare players who did everything right.” Purrington also did whatever he was asked to do on whichever

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.”

Larry Spencer, POW Veteran

Summer may be gone for a while, but the glorious, crisp mid-autumn weather that we so often experience in Iowa was in full bloom as we met at the Wakonda Club at noon for our weekly meeting. President Don Flannery welcomed us and called on Rob Hedgepeth for words of

The Marine who was held longest as a Vietnam POW has passed away (Harlan Chapman)

When Lt. Col. Harlan Chapman arrived in Hawaii after his release from seven years in North Vietnamese prisoner of war camps, Marine Lt. Gen. Louis Wilson was there to meet him. “Welcome back to the Marine Corps,” Wilson told Chapman. “Thank you, general,” Chapman replied, “But I never left.” Chapman

Former P.O.W. David Harker reflects on his experience in Vietnam

The bright blue Corvette in David Harker’s garage holds a special place in his heart. It was a gift on the day in March 1973, when he returned to Lynchburg after five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. His classmates sold bumper stickers to raise money for the