LURIE, ALAN PIERCE

Name: Alan Pierce Lurie
Rank/Branch: O4/United States Air Force, pilot
Unit: 480th TFS
Date of Birth: March 1933
Home City of Record: Cleveland OH
Date of Loss: 13 June 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 173800 North  1062200 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C
Missions: 60+
Other Personnel in Incident: Darrell Pyle, returnee, deceased

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK 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).
UPDATE - 09/95 by the P.O.W. NETWORK, Skidmore, MO

ALAN P. LURIE
Lieutenant Colonel - United States Air Force
Shot Down: June 13, 1966
Released: February 12, 1973

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio in March of 1933. My parents and younger
brother still reside there. While attending Ohio State University in 1954, I
met and later married Miss Mary Todd. After graduation in June 1955, I was
called to active duty in the USAF. I gained my commission through the ROTC
program at Ohio State. My duty assignments prior to Vietnam were: flight
training at Moore AFB and Goodfellow AFB, Texas; Phillips Army Air Field on
the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland; Patrick AFB, Florida; Sculthorpe,
England; Phalsbourg AB, France; and Holloman AFB, New Mexico. My immediate
family now includes my wife, Mary, two daughters, Kim and Kit, and a son,
Cameron.

On 1 February 1966 my squadron departed the USA for assignment at Danang AB.
I was then the aircraft commander of an F4C Phantom fighter bomber. On June
13, 1966, while on an armed reconnaissance mission in the southern part of
North Vietnam, my aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and became
uncontrollable. I ejected safely from low altitude (about 350 feet at 450
knots), but I sustained a compression fracture of the spine.

The DRV used my Pilot Systems Operator and I as a traveling show until 29
June when we arrived in Hanoi and were thrown into Hoa Lo prison, more
commonly known as the Hanoi Hilton. The DRV didn't wait until I got to Hanoi
to begin their systematic torture. Despite what Jane Fonda says, it is a
terrible thing to endure even when administered by "gentle people." I was a
prisoner for 80 months, being released on 12 February 1973. During that
period of time, I was either solo or in very small rooms for extended
periods of time; subjected to torture on several occasions, and under
constant pressure by my captors.

Faith in the Lord, a firm belief in the government and people of the United
States of America, and complete confidence in our military are basically
what kept me going. I never gave up for a minute. I am also confident that I
will never again serve with a finer group of men.

My health is good and I plan to continue my Air Force Career and to fly once
again.
   
To all of you whose thoughts, hopes, and prayers are with your country, your
President, and your fighting men, God bless you . . . You are the finest
people on the face of the Earth.

December 1996
Alan Lurie retired from the United States Air Force as a Brig General. He
and his wife Mary reside in Arizona.