Navy Pilot Chronicles his POW Experiences (Jack Ensch)

August 25, 1972 dawned hot and muggy in Vietnam. Pilots of Fighter Squadron 161, stationed aboard USS Midway (CV 41), readied their aircraft and went over the day’s flight plan. Their mission was an early evening MiG combat air patrol over North Vietnam. Lt. John “Jack” Ensch would serve as a radar intercept officer in an F-4B Phantom.

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Robert Shumaker: An extended stay at the Hanoi Hilton

Prior to his POW experience, Robert Shumaker had other memorable moments in the service. During one mission in the Mediterranean, multiple mechanical malfunctions forced him to freefall 2,000 feet before he could open his parachute. He was also one of the top 32 candidates for NASA’s Apollo program during the

Former prisoners of war enjoy prosperity, peace now (Ramon Horinek)

If captured by the enemy and imprisoned during wartime, American servicemembers must summon the highest levels of courage. A pair of retired lieutenant colonels in Texas knows all too well what it’s like to be stripped of freedoms and have their patriotism and faith put to the test. Lawrence Barbay was

Conroe Vietnam War veteran to share remarkable story 50 years after he regained freedom (James Ray)

Six years, nine months and four days — that’s the length of time 1959 Conroe graduate Col. James E. Ray spent as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. He was shot down on Mother’s Day 1966 and was released two days before Valentine’s Day 1973. Upon his return home to

Remembering Sgt. Don MacPhail

For over a decade I wore a POW bracelet in Sgt. Don MacPhail’s honor and memory. This is the story of Sgt. Don MacPhail and our unique history in pictures, words, video links and newspaper files. For my 16th birthday on August 16, 1971, Irene Pfeffer gave me the bracelet

The Cookie Caper (Robert Purcell)

“The Cookie Caper” In Honor of Col Robert B. “Percy” Purcell, Prisonerof War: North Vietnam (July 1965 – February 1973)