In 1973, hundreds of American Prisoners of War being held captive in Vietnam finally gained their freedom, boarding planes en route to the United States by way of Travis Air Force Base. On Friday, those veterans were honored for their service and sacrifice during the second and final day of the 50th Anniversary of Operation Homecoming celebration at Travis. Despite memories of the horrific war, the mood was jubilant and the veterans present were wreathed in smiles. “It’s the way many of us dealt with things,” veteran Michael O’Connor, retired pilot and chief warrant officer, explained later. In a video, Gen. Michael Minihan with Air Mobility Command shared deep gratitude for Vietnam veterans.
Vietnam War Fighter Pilot Presents His Story of Six Years as a POW (Ken Cordier)
On July 1, retired USAF Col. Ken Cordier recalls his amazing story of patriotism and endurance as a fighter pilot and POW during the Vietnam War. Cordier was forced to eject from his F-4C Phantom jet when it was hit by a surface-to-air missile on Dec. 2,1966. He was immediately
