On September 9, 1965, Navy Cmdr. James Bond Stockdale was flying his A-4 Skyhawk on a mission over North Vietnam, just days after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, when his plane took fire and hurtled down. Forced to eject with seconds to spare, he landed with severe injuries: his left leg bent sideways by 60 degrees and his kneecap smashed; his left shoulder dislocated, rendering his arm useless; his back, he thought, likely was broken.
Vietnam War 50th Anniversary: POW Charles Brown highlights Westover’s historic role at Great New England Air Show breakfast (Padgett)
For Charles A. Brown Jr., his story is less important than those of the people with whom he served at Westover Air Reserve Base. “Everyone’s heard my story,” the now retired Air Reserve colonel says. In a nutshell, Brown’s story goes something like this: Young man from Greater Boston joins the
