Lakeway veteran POW tells story of survival (Jayroe Julius)

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.

Read more

Other Publications You Might Be Interested In

And with honor I return (Ronald Webb)

The bombing started on Dec. 18, 1972 and lasted 11 days. Waves of B-52s dropped 20,000 tons of ordnance on and near the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi and the port city of Haiphong. For the nearly 600 American POWs held by the North Vietnamese, the destruction wreaked by Operation

Read More »

12 POW’s Released (Klaus Zupp)

Twelve captive American G.I.s freed yesterday by Cambodian Prince Norodom Sihanouk were released to Australian today and will fly here iater in the day on the first leg of their journey home, it was announced. One of the freed soldiers was a Hoosier. A spokesman for the Australian Department of

Read More »

Mad Dog McDow (Rick McDow)

Meet Colonel (Retired) “Mad Dog” Rick McDow, United States Air Force. This southern gentleman and Tuscaloosa grad (ROLL TIDE!) had dreams of becoming a military aviator, having heard stories from his uncle who flew jets during the Korean War.    Amidst the backdrop of Vietnam, Rick joined the Air Force

Read More »