1947 Arnold Schwarzenegger Austria, body builder/actor/politican (Commando, Terminator)
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on July 30:
1818 Emily Bront‰ England, novelist (Wuthering Heights)
1815 Thomas Jackson Rodman, Bvt Brig General (Union volunteers)
1837 Elon John Farnsworth, Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1863
1855 James Edward Kelly US, sculptor "Sculptor of American History"
1857 Thorstein Veblen US, economist (Theory of the Leisure Class-1899)
1863 Henry Ford Dearborn Township, Mich, auto maker (Ford)
1880 Robert Rutherford McCormick US, editor/publisher Chicago Tribune
1887 Timothy Mara NFL owner (NY Giants)
1889 Vladimir Zworykin electronics engineer/inventor, father of TV
1890 Casey Stengel NY Yankee (1949-60) & 1st NY Met manager
1899 Gerald Moore England, pianist (Am I Too Loud)
1909 Cyril Northcote Parkinson England, historian (Pursuit of Progress)
1924 William Gass Fargo, ND, novelist, philosopher (Omensetter's Luck)
1929 Christine McGuire Middletown Oh singer (McGuire Sisters-Sugartime)
1929 Sid Kroft Athens Greece, puppeteer (Barbara Mandrell Show)
1930 Thomas Sowell, author/activist/really smart guy
1933 Edd "Kookie" Byrnes LA, actor (77 Sunset Strip, Jack the Ripper)
1934 Bud Selig, owner (Milw Brewers)/acting baseball commissioner
1934 Ben Piazza Ark, actor (Blues Brothers, Ben Casey, Dallas)
1936 Ralph Taeger Richmond Hill NY, actor (Klondike, Acapulco, Hondo)
1936 George "Buddy" Guy, US blues guitarist (Stone Crazy)
1939 Eleanor Smeal heads National Organization for Women
1939 Peter Bogdanovich director/producer (The Last Picture Show)
1940 Patricia Schroeder (Rep-D-Colo)
1941 Count Desmond (Edward Benjamin) Binghamton NY, sword swallower
1941 Paul Anka Ottawa Ontario, singer (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
1945 David Sanborn saxophonist (David Letterman)
1947 Arnold Schwarzenegger Austria, body builder/actor/politican (Commando, Terminator)
1947 William Atherton Ct, actor (Real Genius, Ghostbusters, Class of 44)
1950 Frank Stallone NYC, actor (Barfly, Outlaw Force)
1956 Delta Burke Orlando Fla, actress (Suzanne-Designing Women)
1958 Daley Thomas London, Decathalete (Olympic-gold-1980, 1984)
1958 Kate Bush Plumstead England, singer/songwriter (Wild Things)
1963 Monique Gabrielle LA Cal, actress (Bad Girls 4, Amazon Women on Moon)
1977 Suangsuda Rodprasert, Miss Thailand Universe (1997)
1947 Arnold Schwarzenegger Austria, body builder/actor/politican (Commando, Terminator)
1619 House of Burgesses Virginia formed, 1st elective US governing body
BRECKNER, WILLIAM JOHN JR.
Name: William John Breckner, Jr.
Rank/Branch: United States Air Force/O5
Unit: 8 TFW
Date of Birth: 29 May 1933
Home City of Record: Sebring OH
Date of Loss: 30 July 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 210300 North 1055500 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4D #7576
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno: 1905
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews.
REMARKS: 730329 RELEASED BY DRV
SOURCE: WE CAME HOME copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).
WILLIAM J. BRECKNER
Lieutenant Colonel - United States Air Force
Shot Down: July 30, 1972
Released: March 29, 1973
After attending Bowling Green and Ohio State Universities I entered Aviation
Cadet training and graduated in 1955. Upon completion of advance training at
Nellis AFB, I flew F-86H's and F1 00D's with the 417th T.F. squadron in
Europe. I returned in 1959 to an assignment in GCI then flew FlOlB's at
Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. This was followed by a three year tour of exchange duty
with the U.S. Navy flying A-4's. I was embarked in the ill-fated USS Forrestal
in July 1967 on Yankee Station and returned to combat aboard the USS Intrepid
in July 1968. I completed Air Command and Staff College in 1970 and, after
checking out in the F106, assumed command of Detachment #1, 87th Fighter
Interceptor Squadron at Volk Field, Wisconsin. After joining the 87th F.I.Sq.
at K.I. Sawyer AFB, I volunteered for another sea tour. I completed F-4
training at Homestead AFB and reported to the 435th T.F.Sq. in Thailand where
I served as the Operations Officer. I was shot down 30 July 1972 on a raid
over Hanoi.
After completion of my first combat tour I frequently speculated upon the
factors that may have accounted for my safe return home but did not provide
the same good fortune for my friends. For the next couple of years the war was
an ever present, yet somewhat secondary thing as I became deeply involved in
other duties. However, as time went on and the complexion of the war appeared
to be changing again, I found myself wanting to return once more. My reasons
were various: it was my turn again, personal professional gain, patriotism,
good friends in POW camps and others who had made the supreme sacrifice, and
other reasons I've never fully understood. While in prison camp I had plenty
of time to think how lucky I was to still be alive and, since my return, I
have reflected again on the whims of destiny. Why do some return and others
not? Well, it isn't all skill. Better men than I never came back. Perhaps
Ernest K. Gann said it all when he entitled his book Fate Is The Hunter.
November 1996
William Breckner Jr. retired from the United States Air Force as a Major
General. He and his wife Cheryl reside in Colorado.
