CAMPBELL, BURTON WAYNE DECEASED 09/03/02
Name: Burton Wayne Campbell Rank/Branch: O4/United States Air Force, pilot Unit: 13th TFS Date of Birth: 27 May 1939 Home City of Record: Lorain OH Date of Loss: 01 July 1966 Country of Loss: North Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 174100N 1060100E Status (in 1973): Returnee Category: Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105 Missions: 13 Other Personnel in Incident: none
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK 06 September 1995 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
REMARKS: 730212 RELEASED BY DRV
SOURCE: WE CAME HOME copyright 1977 Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602 Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and spelling errors).
BURTON W. CAMPBELL Captain - United States Air Force Shot Down: July 1,1966 Released: February 12, 1973
Captain Burton W. Campbell was shot down July 1, 1966 over North Vietnam. Two thousand four hundred nineteen days later, he was released. He is now seeking a new career in his home town of Lorain, Ohio.
Ohio was Captain Campbell's home until he joined the Air Force. He was born in Amherst, Ohio on May 27, 1939 and resided in Lorain until 1957. After he received his B.A. in Government from Ohio University in 1961, he attended Officers Training School and was commissioned in the USAF in May 1962. A year later he graduated from pilot training at Webb AFB, Texas and was stationed at several U.S. air bases until his tour in Vietnam.
He is still very much interested in aviation. He has flown T-37's, T-38's, F-100's and F-105's. He plans to work in a held related to aviation; however, it must be near Lorain, Ohio.
Why Lorain, Ohio? Captain Campbell explains the reasons. "Well, a lot of time was spent in Hanoi trying to decide exactly what we would all do when we got home, what course of action we would take regarding our careers. A very common point of discussion was where we were going to live and what we would do with our spare time, in addition to pursuing our careers, be they in the military or elsewhere.
"Why did I come back here? I guess the primary reason is the people. It's going to sound a bit corny, but maybe as a shocker I can say one of the most common phrases the Vietnamese used in their propaganda efforts against us while we were in Hanoi was the phrase 'People Power.'
"I wish to stay here because of the friends I have and the ties I found to be most important. It's not the climate, it's not the recreation in the area, not the different abstractions that attract you to other areas of the country - it's the people.
"When I think of this area, I think of a lot of people who helped me in planning a place to live, helped me readjust, did little favors for me, and asked nothing in return. I think the things that actually have had the most impact, have meant the most to me, are the very simple routine daily encounters that you all do each day. These things have proven to be a prime instrument in my readjustment and my reunderstanding of this country that I'm so proud of.
"I want to thank the people of Lorain and the new friends I have made, the officials of the military organizations, Amvets, IAC, nationality clubs, and administrations of these clubs.
"I found I wanted to come back to the roots I had, keep the roots I had, the friends I had, and appreciate that which is around Lorain, Amherst, Vermillion."
================= Burton Campbell retired from the United States Air Force as a Lt. Colonel. He and his wife Adrienne resided in Ohio until his death 09/03/02.