Last Vietnam POW pilot retires from military

North County Times | 7/1/04 | JAMES HANNAH

The last Vietnam POW flying for the U.S. military called it a career
Wednesday, reluctantly folding up his wings after 44 years in uniform.

Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier, who reached the Air Force's mandatory
retirement age for his rank at 62, was honored in a ceremony at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

"If we didn't have an age-limit law, General Mechenbier would not step down,"
said Gregory Martin, commander of Air Force Materiel Command.

Mechenbier agreed, and drew laughs from the several hundred people at the
ceremony when he poked fun at his predicament. "When you're getting run out
of town on a rail, get in front and make it look like a parade," he said.

"Welcome to my parade."

Mechenbier's fighter jet was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967. He was
captured and sent to Hoa Lo prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton." For part of
his six years in captivity, Mechenbier was in a cell 15 feet from
now-Sen. John McCain. The two communicated with each other by writing on
the bottoms of plates with lead spoons.

Mechenbier was released in 1973 and resumed his duties with the Air Force.

During Wednesday's ceremony, congratulatory letters from President Bush and
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were read during the ceremony. Mechenbier's
voice broke with emotion as he ended his speech with a reference to the
Star-Spangled Banner. "Flying will be the greatest void to fill," he said.

Mechenbier made his final military flight three weeks ago when he returned to
Hanoi to fly home remains thought to be those of two fallen comrades, occupants
of an Army helicopter and Air Force plane lost in 1968. Piloting the same plane
that took him out of Vietnam three decades earlier, Mechenbier flew the remains
to Hawaii to be identified. Also on board were the remains of 19 others believed
to be soldiers who died in the Korean War.

Mechenbier called it the high point of his career: "That is probably the single most
emotional, memorable thing I've done in 44 years."