On Jan. 19, 1967, Air Force Captain Julius “Jay” Jayroe was flying an F-4C Phantom on a reconnaissance mission over Hanoi, Vietnam, when he was shot down. After landing by parachute in the rice paddies sprinkled across the countryside, Jayroe became a prisoner of war during the thick of the Vietnam conflict, and remained so until his release in March of 1973.
Jayroe will tell his story as a former prisoner of war on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, at Lakeway Heritage Park, detailing the conditions he and his fellow prisoners endured. Maj. Gen. Rod Kelly, who met Jayroe when re-teaching POWs how to fly planes, said Jayroe and the other former prisoners left a lasting impression on him.
