Jack Van Loan was a United States Air Force fighter pilot. In 1967, he was flying as wingman for Colonel Robin Olds when his F-4 Phantom jet was shot down. He spent six years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Alongside such legends as Robbie Risner, James Stockdale, and John McCain, he endured years of torture and abuse. After his freedom, he spent decades compiling his memoir. While this memoir is being published after his death, the reader cannot help but feel his passion for telling his story to the world.
The Shoot Down, Evasion, Attempted Rescue and Capture of Jackel-33B
On 22 December 1972, an F-111 call sign Jackel 33 was flying a night strike mission over North Vietnam. Jackel 33 was manned by its pilot, Captain Bob Sponeybarger and its Weapons System Operation, 1stLt William (Bill) Wilson. Jackel 33’s assigned targets were the river docks in the middle of
