Retired Air Force Colonel Jack Pitchford, 83, died December 2, 2009 after battling a brain tumor.
He survived seven years of torture after being shot down over North Vietnam on December 20, 1965 during a dangerous combat mission. He was taken to Hoa Lo prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton," where he was tortured along with John McCain. He was released in 1973, but never fully recovered from his brutal incarceration.
He was a veteran of World War II and Korea, but missed combat assignments in both wars. While in Vietnam, he flew low altitude missions to hunt down and destroy surface-to-air-missile sights. On the day of his capture, he was shot in the arm three times. His co-pilot was killed in the gun battle.
After his retirement, he returned to his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi where he enjoyed horse racing.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment