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.

“I Refuse” and “Sacrifice, Suffering, and Strength: The Story of An Ex-POW” (James Bailey)
Today I visited a prison; a prison that for years held many soldiers; a prison that concealed the terrible treatment of many American pilots; a prison that was a huge part of a very special man’s life.

