Six men assigned to AFVN were taken prisoner during the Vietnam War, five specking about years in
On August 16, 1960, Joe Kittinger went for a balloon ride. Sitting inside an open gondola suspended from an enormous helium-filled envelope, the U.S. Air Force captain rose to a height more than 19 miles above the Earth’s surface. His mission that day—part of Project Excelsior—was to test a new
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.”
When Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters swept away the military medals of retired Navy Capt. Michael Penn, he considered the loss just one among many. “We spent about a week in shock,” said Penn, a Vietnam veteran who survived eight months as prisoner of war. “Not medical shock, but mental shock. We
Smiles come easily and often to Gordon Nakagawa — worthy of note when talking about a man whose childhood was interrupted by a stay in a Japanese internment camp, and whose distinguished 32-year military career included time as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton, North Vietnam”s infamous prison. “The one
Some veterans are honored for conspicuous courage in the face of the enemy, and others for excellent performance in command of great fleets. Admiral Edward H. Martin is here recognized as a hero in both arenas. Martin continued to serve his country and the city of Coronado even in retirement.