'We tend to use the word hero too loosely these days. But Wayne was a true hero,' says San Diegan Robert Russell.
Wayne Goodermote rarely opened up about his nearly six years of incarceration in North Vietnam prison camps, where he was blindfolded and moved from one detention facility to another.That changed on the 50th anniversary of his highly publicized March 14, 1973, release from Hoa Lò Prison, better known as the “Hanoi Hilton,” along with other POWs.
Usually, the photography crew takes a different flight path, but the pilot later told reporters his commanding officer disregarded his objection that it was a suicide mission and ordered him to follow the attack route because it would provide the best photo documentation of the strike damage. Goodermote’s theory was bolstered when an American visiting North Vietnam in recent years spied a bashed-in helmet in a military museum there and took a photo. The name Goodermote was printed across the helmet.
The ruse was discovered what the guard proudly presented his new English word to his slightly more knowledgeable comrades and became the butt of their jokes. Goodermote credited Bill Butler, his POW cellmate for four years, with saving his life in prison. How? Butler told him to stop messing with the guards or they were going to kill him.Among his U.S. comrades at the Hanoi Hilton were Vice Adm. James Stockdale, of Coronado, Capt. John McCain and Rear Adm. Jeremiah Denton, who famously blinked “T-O-R-T-U-R-E” with his eyelids in Morse code during a televised North Vietnamese propaganda interview.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Secretariat’s jockey remembers Triple Crown winner on 50th anniversaryToday is the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown victory -- one many people call the most dominant performance in sports history. His jockey spoke about memories from that run and more.
Read more »
Carly Pearce Feels 'Really Happy and Full' After Riley King BreakupCarly Pearce is feeling good following her breakup with Riley King.
Read more »
Column: Why Donald Trump's federal indictment is as breathtaking as it was inevitableFormer President Trump was indicted on charges related to classified documents found at his Florida estate. Special counsel Jack Smith's case is historic.
Read more »
Column: How 'Save the children' became an excuse for anti-LGBTQ+ hateAnti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is on the rise across the nation and in California, couched in rhetoric about protecting kids. It's a page from an old but powerful playbook.
Read more »
Indonesia's Anak Krakatoa volcano erupts, spews huge ash columnPublic was ordered to keep away from the volcanic island, which sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone where high volcanic activities were reported in recent days including the Philippines and the US state of Hawaii.
Read more »
Column: Rich Township pantry braces for increased demandRich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan discusses how the end of pandemic-era expansion of eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has affected food pantry demand.
Read more »