Air Force Captain Pete Peterson's F-4 was hit by Anti-Aircraft fire on his 67th combat mission. He spent the next 6 and a half years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. He was tortured and kept in isolation by his captors. Finally, on Christmas Eve 1969, he was allowed to go to a church service in the prison. The service was filmed for propoganda purposes, and a copy of the film was given to a US Congressman at the Paris Peace Talks. This was the first proof that, 3 years after his shootdown, Captain Peterson was still alive. Captain Peterson was returned in 1973 during Operation Homecoming. He retired from the Air Force in 1981 as a full Colonel. In 1990, he ran sucessfully for a seat in the US Congress. Although his life has been full of trying situations and adversity, Pete Peterson has never been the kind of person to let that slow him down. His ability to forgive and understand is what makes him a real hero.
In 1997, Pete Peterson returned to Vietnam as United States Ambassador. |
