11/09/1967: Lance Sijan’s Heroic Ordeal

Lance Sijan’s story is one of immense bravery, perseverance, and tragedy. On November 9th, 1967, Lt. Col. John Armstrong and 2nd Lt. Lance Sijan flew a bombing mission over North Vietnam in an F-4C Phantom. The F-4C was a fighter-bomber flown by two pilots who sat in tandem, usually with the less experienced pilot in the rear cockpit compartment, as was the case with Sijan on this mission. As Armstrong and Sijan dropped their ordnance, a fuse malfunction caused the bombs to explode prematurely, destroying their aircraft. Sijan managed to eject in time and parachute to the ground, suffering fractures in his skull and left leg, and a severely injured right hand. A search and rescue operation spent the day trying to rescue him despite heavy fire in which one aircraft was shot down (its pilot was rescued). The search and rescue operation resumed the next day. But despite repeated attempts at re-establishing communication, no further contact was made with Sijan (who was unconscious at the time), and the operation had to be called off.

Sijan was badly injured, with no food and no survival kit. Yet he managed to slowly inch on his back through thorny undergrowth, and across sharp limestone karst, scraping his skin raw, looking for an open area from which he could call in a rescue with what little equipment he had left. He was finally captured December 25th, 46 days later. Even in his emaciated, crippled and sometimes delirious state, he managed to overcome a guard and escape, but was recaptured a few hours later. Detained in the “Bamboo Prison” near Vinh, he was tortured and beaten mercilessly, but did not yield any information. When he didn’t break, he was transferred to the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” (Hoa Loa Prison) where, in his severely weakened and injured state, he contracted pneumonia and died on January 22nd, 1968.

While in both prisons, he was cared for by two Air Force officers, Colonel Robert R. Craner and Captain Guy D. Gruters, from whose recommendation and testimony he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Sijan’s extraordinary bravery and resolve is remembered in many memorials, and held as an example by the U.S. Air Force Academy where his story is on the curriculum for all new cadets. Sijan was also posthumously promoted to Captain.

(His story is movingly retold in Into the Mouth of the Cat: The Story of Lance Sijan, Hero of Vietnam)