English 90-5457

Diversity Company

Group Assignment

Vietnam War POW Hero

Dina Arid, Alicia McClain, Sean Summers, and LaShonda Coffey

Bud Day is one of our Vietnam War POW Hero’s who served his country from 1942 to

1977. He was 17 years old when he convinced his parents to allow him to quit school and join

the Marines. Day was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa. He lived through the Depression.

His father worked many jobs to provide for his family. Often times because of little or no money

he had to hunt or fish for food.

In 1943, during World War II Day was in active duty for 30 months in South Pacific. He

was later injured on the shipboard and was placed in Hawaii to recover. He served in a search

light battery near Midway Aton until 1945 when he was sent back to Honolulu for a guard

company.

When Day returned home he took advantage of his GI Bill, went to college. He attended

South Dacota Bar in 1949 to later become a lawyer. When the war ended he stayed in the Army

Reserve and was promoted to second Lieutenant in 1950. Later, volunteered as a pilot training.

Upon receiving his wings, he flew an F-84 pilot. He was promoted again as Captain in 1955

where he chose the Air Force as his career. He could have retired but decided to go to Vietnam

as a major. He became the First Commander of Detachment 1, 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron,

stationed in Phu Cat. Daves’s duty was to fly F-100’s over North Vietnam and Loas during a

“Misty” call.
 While on a mission August 26, 1967 Dave was shot down by 37mm gun. He was injured

during his landing. He broke his left arm, injured his eye, badly hurt his back, and sprained his

ankle. Right after landing he was captured and held as a prisoner by the North Vietnam

Militiaman. He was stripped down to his boots and taken to the interrogation shelter. He

refused to cooperate so he was beaten almost to death. They tortured him and placed him inside

a hole almost leaving him to die. Day was able to free himself from the clothesline rope that was

slightly loosed and escape after 5 days. He hurt himself even more because he was bare-feet

running through the bomb rocket land. His feet were cut and bleeding bad as he walked on

rocks. He would sleep undergrowth and eat berries and frogs to survive.

Around the 15th day he was spotted by a VC patrol who shot him in the leg and hand. He

limped through the jungle, later captured and was returned to the camp he escaped. He was

tortured even more for escaping by breaking his arm again in the process to teach him a lesson.

He was moved to another camp called Little Las Vegas where they refused to give him medical

care, which left him to take care of himself to the best of his ability. He was transferred to

another prison camp called “Zoo” for worse treatment. He had been given a name “Trouble

Maker” because he refused to give up information that would place the American Aircraft in

danger. They placed him in solitary confinement for 67-months. During this time he would

think about his wife, kids, home activities to keep his mind occupied, not thinking about the

horrible experiences he had.

In 1968 after Tet Offensive during the President Election, the abuse lessoned and the

food improved. But not long after a long abuse period continued. He received around 300

blows, smashed his face in, chipped his teeth, and he had an eardrum rapture. Right at that

moment death seemed appealing to him. He was happy in December, 1972 when President
Richard Nixon ordered operation Linebacker II on North Vietnam, the torture improved. And in

1973, the rumors started about the prisoners being released.

Finally, on March 14, 1973 Bud Day got his wish, was released to go home to join his

family. He returned home a hero after being beaten for 5 years and 7 months. On March 6,

1976 Day received a Medal of Honor from President Gerald Ford because of his brave actions of

escaping from the Vietnam prison camp and honoring his country. As a free man day had a

choice to retire but he chose to continue the Air Force with his new position hoping to become

general officer’s star. After a year of physical rehabilitation treatment he returned to the cockpit.

Trained on the F-4 Phantom, he was assigned vice commander of the 33rd Tactical fighter war

wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He never received the promotion of brigadier general

which he didn’t understand.

Day The spring of 1977 retired and began his law career. He took the Florida exam while

serving the war. He was the only US Air Force Pilot with a law degree. One particular law suit

he had filed was against his employer the US Government. He went to his regular appointment

to receive medical treatment and was told the rules changed. He was directed to apply for

Medicare. He was furious because the government broke their promise to cover all medical for

the rest of the retired veteran’s lives. He filed a lawsuit in 1996 on the behalf of the veteran’s.

Dave fought many battles with the courts regarding the broken promise to the retired

veteran’s. He did get the government to admit they broke their promise. But the Supreme Court

denied hearing the case because the government claimed the promise had been made without

legal authority. Throughout the process, Dave never gave up. He filed appeals from different

veteran’s groups until the government finally introduced the Tricare for Life Program for

military retirees.
 Although Dave had his differences with the government, it never changed how he felt

about the military. He tells the young soldiers today, “You have the greatest job given to you as

a young man: to serve your country. It’s the single best calling for a young person (Day 6). Day

continues throughout his life leading a group of Vietnam veterans who are frustrated from the

public view of negativity regarding the war. He started a Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation

to support and inform the American people about the experiences during the war. After 35 years,

Day is still serving his country and writing books on war stories.