Last Vietnam POW pilot retires from military

North County Times ^ | 7/1/04 | JAMES HANNAH

[rhema]

The last Vietnam POW flying for the U.S. military called it a career Wednesday, reluctantly folding up his wings after 44 years in uniform.

Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier, who reached the Air Force's mandatory retirement age for his rank at 62, was honored in a ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

"If we didn't have an age-limit law, General Mechenbier would not step down," said Gregory Martin, commander of Air Force Materiel Command.

Mechenbier agreed, and drew laughs from the several hundred people at the ceremony when he poked fun at his predicament.

"When you're getting run out of town on a rail, get in front and make it look like a parade," he said. "Welcome to my parade."

Mechenbier's fighter jet was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967. He was captured and sent to Hoa Lo prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton."

For part of his six years in captivity, Mechenbier was in a cell 15 feet from now-Sen. John McCain. The two communicated with each other by writing on the bottoms of plates with lead spoons.

Mechenbier was released in 1973 and resumed his duties with the Air Force.

During Wednesday's ceremony, congratulatory letters from President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were read during the ceremony. Mechenbier's voice broke with emotion as he ended his speech with a reference to the Star-Spangled Banner.

"Flying will be the greatest void to fill," he said.

Mechenbier made his final military flight three weeks ago when he returned to Hanoi to fly home remains thought to be those of two fallen comrades, occupants of an Army helicopter and Air Force plane lost in 1968.

Piloting the same plane that took him out of Vietnam three decades earlier, Mechenbier flew the remains to Hawaii to be identified. Also on board were the remains of 19 others believed to be soldiers who died in the Korean War.

Mechenbier called it the high point of his career: "That is probably the single most emotional, memorable thing I've done in 44 years."

[sns5151]

cowboy comes home. Good job. Thank you for your service to our country.

Semper Fi Marine wife/mom nanna of6

[Spook86]

Couldn't agree more...I recently moved to SW Ohio, and have the misfortune to have the "Dayton Daily News" as my local paper. The tone of their article--in contrast to the Columbus Dispatch--gives you some idea of just how liberal the "DDN" really is. Had I been in that hangar, I'm sure I could have spotted the Daily News reporter. Some young liberal twit, probably looking at his/her watch, and hoping the ceremony would end sooner, rather than later. I'm also sure the reporter was fuming at the "military display," and wondering how many social programs could be funded with the money spent on the aircraft displayed at the museum.

Thanks to whoever posted the Dispatch article. It's infinitely better than the coverage provided by General Mechenbier's "hometown" paper. BTW, the Daily News is owned by Cox Communications, which also publishes the equally intolerable "Atlanta Constitution."

[Spook86]

Different rules for different folks. 62 is the mandatory retirement age for Major Generals in the Reserve...had Gen Mechenbier remained on active duty, he would have retired years ago; 35 years is (effectively) the limit for any active duty general office without prior enlisted service. Rickover, by comparison, operated under his own set of rules. The Navy tried to show him the door in the late 1940s, but "Rick" cultivated enough friends on Capitol Hill to advance to the rank of Admiral, and remain in service until the early 1980s.

Incidentally, Rickover essentially advanced at his own whim, outside the normal promotion system. When the Admiral decided he needed another star, one of his buddies on the hill would call the Chief of Naval Operations and threaten the Navy budget if Rickover wasn't promoted. Rickover also flaunted his power by wearing civilian suits to his office, instead of an admiral's uniform.

Rickover wasn't the only octogenerian in the Navy's upper ranks. RADM Grace Hopper served well into her 70s, as I recall. However, Admiral Hopper did not thumb her nose at the Navy brass; she remained on active duty for years because of her expertise in computers...Rickover was also an "expert"--the father of the nuclear Navy--but he also hung on to exact his revenge on a Navy that had (in his opinion) denied him promotion and opportunities earlier in his career, due to his Jewish roots....

[MeekOneGOP]

Running WAaaayy behind today bump !

[windchime]

Thanks for the ping, TGYC! Great story.

Thanks for your service, Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier!

[BykrBayb]

What?! Do you have a link for further info?

[oyez]

PRE----SENT ARMS!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank God for our heroes and their loved ones!

[The Mayor]

Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier, Thank you for serving this Great Country Sir !

[Mark17]

They don't actually fly - they're just so ugly that the earth repels them.

LOL, well, that is a different way of looking at it.

They fly and they fly fast. They just don't turn worth a damn. Unload and extend.

When I was an air traffic controller, thuds dang sure didn't work into a traffic pattern with anything else in the sky. F-100s were not a whole lot better either.

[BlueNgold]

It's been discussed by Hugh Hewitt nationally and Eric Hogue here in Sacramento.

http://www.ktkz.com/bellyofthebeast.asp

It's a crying shame. ADM Denton was the centerpiece of the movie 'The Hanoi Hilton' serving with dstinction among the likes of John McCain and ADM Stockdale. A patriot's patriot and a hero's hero. ADM, Senator, and Statesman, and this genius we have here named Speaker Fabian Nunez thinks the 'overtones' of July 4th are somehow distinct from the overtones of Veterans day. Without Vets, there'd be no 4th to celebrate...

[/soapbox]