11/13/2025
If youโve driven by Patriot Park in Covington, youโve probably seen the fighter jet proudly displayed near the corner of Hwy. 51 and East Pleasant Avenue. That A-4L Skyhawk isnโt just a piece of military history, itโs a tribute to one of Tipton Countyโs own.
Capt. Charles Nels Tanner was a Covington native, a U.S. Navy pilot, and a Vietnam War POW who spent more than six years in captivity after his jet was shot down over North Vietnam on Oct. 9, 1966.
๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐.
During the Vietnam War, American POWs were routinely tortured and pressured to sign propaganda โconfessions.โ Tanner was ordered to name two fellow pilots who refused to fly missions.
Instead, Tanner handed over a statement naming Dr. Ben Casey and Lt. Clark Kent โ fictional American heroes from television and comic books.
According to the U.S. Navyโs historical report Battle Behind Bars and the Congressional Record (Feb. 12, 2015), โWhen word got back to the Vietnamese that they had been made a joke of โฆ he got his ticket to Alcatraz.โ
Tanner was severely punished and sent to the campโs most feared isolation block โ known among prisoners as โAlcatraz," a high-security section reserved for those who resisted most fiercely. He endured ruthless beatings, starvation, isolation, and endless interrogations โ but never broke.
His act of humor and defiance quickly became legend within the prison network. Fellow POWs, who invented and used a tap code to communicate, tapped the story through cell walls as a symbol of resistance. In a place built to break men, Tannerโs wit reminded them that they still controlled one thing the captors could never take: their dignity.
Tanner was finally released on March 4, 1973, during Operation Homecoming, after 2,341 days in captivity. He returned to active service, retired as a Navy captain, and later flew for FedEx.
In 1995, the Tipton County Veterans Council began efforts to obtain a Skyhawk attack bomber to complement the planned Tipton County Museum, Veterans Memorial and Nature Center. It was loaned to the City of Covington by the National Museum of Naval Aviation in 1996. After renovation, the jet was inscribed with Captain Tanner's name as a permanent tribute to his service and sacrifice. The aircraft became the centerpiece of Patriot Park, which was officially dedicated on Nov. 11, 2004.
Capt. Tanner and his wife Sara Ann Sage Tanner raised two children. He died in 2015 at age 82.
Want to see some of his personal artifacts and photographs? You can! They're on display at the Tipton County Museum.
Tannerโs story is featured in Alvin Townleyโs ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ช๐ข๐ฏ๐ต: ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ด ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ช๐ฆ๐ต๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ'๐ด ๐๐ฐ๐ด๐ต ๐๐ฏ๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฎ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ, an incredible book about the Alcatraz Eleven that brings his courage and brotherhood to life. (It's a five-star read, truly.)
๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐. ๐ง๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ:
โข Veteran Tributes: https://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=1163
โข POW Network Biography: https://www.pownetwork.org/bios/t/t024.htm
โข Valor.MilitaryTimes Record: https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-55141
โข Battle Behind Bars, Naval History and Heritage Command (PDF):https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/publications/Publication-PDF/BattleBehindBars2.pdf
โข Congressional Record, Feb. 12 2015: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2015-02-12/html/CREC-2015-02-12-pt1-PgH1020.htm
โข Defiant by Alvin Townley: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250006538/
