On Nov. 9, 1967, the F-4 flown by 1st Lt. Lance P. Sijan of Milwaukee, Wisc., was hit by North Vietnamese ground fire and exploded. Although badly wounded he was able to parachute from his stricken plane. Even with no food and very little water he managed to avoid capture for 45 days. Because of a serious compound fracture of the left leg, he was unable to walk but did manage to pull himself backward through the jungle. Even with a broken leg, a skull fracture, and a mangled right hand he was able to escape shortly after his initial capture. Upon recapture he was taken to Vinh and thrown into a bamboo cell. He was 'interrogated' repeatedly, and in spite of his captors technique of twisting his damaged right hand he refused to disclose any information but his name. When not being 'interrogated' he attempted additional escapes with the only results being beatings.
Lt Sijan was soon moved to a POW camp at Hanoi. Even in his pitiful condition, he attempted more escapes all meeting with failure. His physical condition continued to weaken without proper food or medical attention and soon he developed additional respiratory problems. After many months of ill treatment, his health, but not his spirit, broke and one night he was dragged deliriously from his cell and never seen again.
Lt Sijan was promoted posthumously to Captain on June 13, 1968. On March 4, 1976 he was awarded posthumously the Medal of Honor which was presented to his parents by President Gerald Ford. Captain Sijan thus became the first graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy to receive our nations highest decoration for heroism above and beyond the call of duty.
When Lance Sijan was a cadet at the USAF Academy, one of his friends and fellow team mates on the junior varsity football team was Joe Ross. Later both would serve in Vietnam, both fly the same type of aircraft and both die in the service of their country within months of each other.
The 1963 USAF Academy Junior Varsity Squad.
Cadet Lance Sijan is standing in the first row, second from the left.
Cadet Joe Ross is on the far left of the second row.
Joe Ross was sent to South Vietnam in June 1968 as an F-4 pilot. His brother, Steve was also stationed in Vietnam as an aircraft propeller mechanic. Through a twist of fate Steve was sent temporarily to Joe's base on a duty assignment. During that short period, the brothers spent their off-duty time reminiscing about home and family.
In the early morning of Aug. 1, 1968, Joe led an armed reconnaissance flight of two F-4D's near Ban Karai, North Vietnam. Spotting enemy trucks, the flight dropped flares and Joe's plane dove to attack. The crew of the second F-4D saw a large explosion on the ground and all attempts to contact Joe's F-4 by radio failed to get a response.
Several hours later, as Steve was preparing to board an airplane for return to his own base, he was approached by two USAF officers. It was their difficult task to tell Steve his brother was missing. Whether Capt. Ross died or had been captured and never reported as such, is unknown. But on Mar. 14, 1975, Capt. Ross's status was officially changed from missing-in-action to killed-in-action, although his real status will never be known.