The Yankee Air Pirate

21/11/2025

RIP sir!

Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Stirm, the prisoner of war seen running toward his family in the famous Vietnam War photo “Burst of Joy,” has died at age 92. His family told CBS Sacramento he passed away on the morning of Veterans Day, more than 50 years after that homecoming at Travis Air Force Base in California was captured on film and shared around the world.

Stirm was a fighter pilot shot down over Hanoi in 1967 while leading a flight of F 105s and spent more than 5 years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam before his release in 1973. Days after he was freed, he arrived at Travis aboard a C 141 “Hanoi Taxi,” where Associated Press photographer Slava “Sal” Veder photographed his 15 year old daughter Lorrie sprinting down the tarmac with arms wide to hug her father as the rest of the family followed. The picture, published as “Burst of Joy,” went on to win the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography and became one of the most recognizable images of the war’s end and the POW homecomings.

After returning home, Stirm continued his Air Force career, was later promoted to colonel, and retired from the service in 1977. In recent interviews, his daughter has said the photo still reminds her how lucky their family was compared with the many POW and MIA families who never saw a reunion. As news of his death spreads, the image of a father and his children reuniting on the Travis runway is being shared again as a symbol of sacrifice, survival, and the complicated relief that came with the end of America’s war in Vietnam.

11/11/2025

Happy Veterans Day 🇺🇸

10/11/2025

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — After 57 years, Capt. Thomas Edwin Scheurich is finally home. The remains of Scheurich, a U.S. Navy captain, have finally returned home after he disappeared during the Vietn…

10/11/2025

Happy 250th birthday to our illustrious United States Marine Corps!~Semper Fi 🇺🇸 

31/10/2025

At just 21, Army nurse Pam Barrows faced the brutal realities of the Vietnam War with unwavering courage, compassion, and dedication to saving lives on the front lines.

Pam Barrows: A Nurse’s Heroic Service in Vietnam

At just 21, Pam Barrows joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in 1967, answering the call to serve during the Vietnam War. She deployed to Vietnam in March 1968, where she was stationed at the 71st Evacuation Hospital, providing care for soldiers under constant threat of enemy fire.

Working 12-hour shifts, six days a week, Pam treated soldiers on Ward Six, a post-operative surgical ward, where many patients were critically wounded. Her duties included administering medications, caring for wounds, starting IVs, and giving blood transfusions. She also experienced the constant arrival of soldiers by helicopter, each one desperately needing life-saving treatment.

Pam’s work wasn’t just physical but emotional. During rocket attacks, she and her team would take cover, sometimes shielding their patients with mattresses. Despite the overwhelming dangers, Pam stayed focused on her mission, never losing sight of her responsibility to those who depended on her.

After returning stateside, Pam became head nurse at Fort Benning and eventually retired as a Captain. Her leadership and unwavering dedication to her fellow soldiers extended beyond her military service, as she continued to advocate for veterans.

Pam Barrows’ legacy of courage, compassion, and selflessness remains a powerful reminder of the vital role nurses played during the Vietnam War. Her quiet heroism in the face of danger continues to inspire. 📌 Full story in the comments 👇

29/10/2025

An incredibly courageous man that gave his life for his country 🇺🇸

On this day, 62 years ago, October 29, 1963, 34-year-old Captain Humbert Roque Versace of the United States Army stood alone against his captors deep in the jungles of South Vietnam.

He was serving as an intelligence advisor with the Military Assistance Advisory Group, attached to the 5th Infantry Division (ARVN), in An Xuyên Province, South Vietnam.

Operating near the village of Tân Phú, Captain Versace accompanied a South Vietnamese Civil Guard and Self-Defense Corps unit on a search and destroy mission against entrenched Viet Cong forces.

During the operation, they came under heavy automatic weapons fire from well-prepared Communist positions.

Pinned down in open rice paddies, Versace led his men in returning fire, rallying them to hold their ground.

Despite the overwhelming enemy fire, he repeatedly exposed himself to direct fire to cover the withdrawal of wounded Vietnamese troops.

When the unit was finally ordered to pull back, he refused to retreat until all of the wounded were moved to safety.

While covering their withdrawal, Versace was struck by enemy fire and seriously wounded.

Unable to continue fighting, he was captured along with two other Americans — 1st Lieutenant Nick Rowe and Sergeant Daniel Pitzer.

The three men were taken deep into the U Minh Forest, one of the Viet Cong’s strongholds in the Mekong Delta.

Over the following months, Captain Versace endured brutal conditions in a bamboo cage, subjected to sickness, starvation, and repeated attempts at political indoctrination.

Despite his injuries and the torture inflicted, he maintained absolute faith in his duty, his country, and his God.

He openly defied the captors at every opportunity, speaking boldly in French and Vietnamese to resist their commands.

When they ordered him to denounce the United States, he refused.

When they demanded propaganda statements, he rejected them flatly.

He encouraged the other prisoners to stay true to their oaths, often shouting through the walls of their huts, reminding them that they were American soldiers and bound by honor.

Even as his body weakened from disease and malnutrition, Versace’s spirit did not break.

His fellow prisoners recalled hearing him loudly sing patriotic songs to drown out guard commands and interrogation sessions.

The Viet Cong considered him uncooperative and a threat to their control.

After months of failed attempts to break him, they decided he was beyond reeducation.

On or about September 26, 1965, Captain Humbert Roque Versace was executed by his captors in the U Minh Forest.

He was 37 years old.

His remains were never recovered.

For his extraordinary heroism, indomitable courage, and refusal to compromise his faith and duty in the face of captivity, Captain Humbert Roque Versace was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

On July 8, 2002, President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor to his brother, Dr. Stephen Versace, in a ceremony at the White House.

Captain Humbert Roque Versace became the first American prisoner of war of the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor.

27/10/2025

God bless John McCain🇺🇸

On this day in 1967, during a naval combat mission, Sen. McCain’s plane was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam. He was captured and imprisoned for over five years. While a prisoner of war, Sen. McCain refused freedom until all U.S. captives were released, advocating for the rights of his fellow prisoners.

19/09/2025

Vietnam POW, Orson Swindle

19/09/2025

Today is POW/MIA Recognition Day. Always honor the sacrifice and courage of all who were prisoners of war and those that never made it home. We will never forget. 🇺🇸

09/09/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1K2V7ndJx5/?mibextid=WC7FNe

On this day, 60 years ago, September 9, 1965, 40-year-old Commander James Bond Stockdale was flying an A-4 Skyhawk over North Vietnam as a naval aviator during the Vietnam War.

His aircraft was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire, suddenly engulfing the plane in flames and causing complete loss of hydraulic control.

Stockdale ejected from the aircraft, breaking a bone in his back upon landing in a small village.

Almost immediately, he was beaten by a hostile mob and then captured by North Vietnamese forces.

He became the highest-ranking naval officer held as a prisoner of war and was taken to Hoa Lo Prison, known as the Hanoi Hilton.

During more than seven years of captivity, Stockdale endured relentless physical torture, including beatings, whippings, near-asphyxiation, solitary confinement for four years in total darkness, and two years in heavy leg irons.

Despite this, he led resistance efforts among American POWs, organizing secret communications, morale-building, and refusal to cooperate with propaganda efforts.

When faced with forced confessions, Stockdale deliberately inflicted near-fatal wounds on himself to avoid being used for enemy propaganda.

His indomitable spirit convinced his captors to reduce torture on all prisoners.

Upon release in 1973, Stockdale's extraordinary heroism and leadership were recognized with the Medal of Honor, awarded in 1976.

Stockdale survived the ordeal and lived until July 5, 2005, when he died at age 81.

He remains one of the most highly decorated naval officers in U.S. history, remembered for his resilience, leadership, and courage under the harshest conditions.

26/05/2025

Memorial Day isn't about barbecues or beach days—it's about those American heroes who gave everything for our freedom.🇺🇸