WELLS, NORMAN LOUROSS

Name: Norman Louross Wells
Rank/Branch: United States Air Force/O3
Unit:
Date of Birth: 7 March 33 Annapolis MD
Home City of Record: Unionville VA
Date of Loss: 29 August 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 173300 North  1062600 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D
Missions: VN 75
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno:

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: 730304 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).

NORMAN L WELLS
Lieutenant Colonel - United States Air Force
Shot Down: August 29, 1966
Released: March 4, 1973

I was born on my Dad's birthday, March 7, 1933, in Annapolis, Maryland, to
Norman B. Wells and Rosemary F. Wells. We lived on the USN Engineering
Experimental Station across the Severn from the Academy until I was twelve
years old. We then moved to a 53 acre tobacco farm called Sunny Acres near
the community of Davidsonville, Maryland.

I graduated from Annapolis High School in 1951 and enlisted in the USAF on
April 18, 1952. I entered Aviation Cadet training in September 1953 and
received my wings and commission at Williams AFB on December 4, 1954. On
April 30, 1955 Barbara A. Truslow, my teenage sweetheart, and I were married
in the Chapel at Nellis AFB, Nevada. We traveled to Sidi Slimane AB in
Morocco where I flew the F-86 and F-100C in the FDS. Our first daughter,
Nina, was born at Port Lyauty NAS, Morocco.

I was then transferred to Chaumont AB, France and the 493rd FBS where I flew
the F-100D. Our second daughter, Roseleen, was born at Chateauroux AB,
France in 1957. We returned to the United States in 1958 where I was
assigned to the 309th TFS at Turner AFB, Georgia. Donna, our third daughter
was born at Turner. In late 1958 I was transferred to Seymour Johnson AFB,
North Carolina and assigned to the 336th TFS. I flew the F-100D and F-105B.
Our two sons, Ross and Sammy, were born at Goldsboro, North Carolina in 1960
and 1962. In 1963 I was assigned to the 22nd TFS at Birburg AB, Germany
where I flew the F-105D.

I departed Bitburg AB for Southeast Asia and Thailand in early 1966 leaving
Barbara and the family in Unionville, Virginia. I flew 75 missions over
North Vietnam in the F-105D and was shot down on August 21, 1966 and
recovered by a Marine helicopter in the Gulf of Tonkin. I was downed again
on August 29,1966 in RT Pack 1 in the southern panhandle of North Vietnam on
my 78th mission.

I was captured by Vietnamese peasants and militia about fifteen minutes
after I landed uninjured. So began a six and one-half year tour as a POW.
Faith in God and country and the support and guidance of my fellow POWs saw
me through those long years. As an American I knew that my country would
never let me down and that someday I'd go home. America has given us a
wonderful welcome and I appreciated it very much but I constantly remind
myself of the men who lost their lives so that I might be free. I am forever
indebted to them. Let us honor those brave men.

=========================

Norman Wells retired from the United States Air Force as a Colonel. He and
his wife Barbara reside in Virginia.

On July 30, the Wells son, Norman Wells, Jr., 41, was killed in an explosion
at his workplace in Culpepper.