Paul Granger, a B-52 pilot who was shot down over Hanoi and taken captivity during Operation Linebacker II in 1972, was honored by the 560th Flying Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph on Mar. 3.
Photo: USAF
The tradition by the 560th FTS dates back to 1973 when the squadron gave Freedom Flights to former POWs, who were not retrained to fly again, a final flight so that their last flight in an Air Force aircraft wouldn’t be the flight on which they were shot down and captured.
The flight was held in conjunction with the 43rd Freedom Flyers Reunion – which celebrates the release of POWs from Vietnam.