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 George
“Bud” Day is one of the most highly decorated service members in
U.S. military history. He’s a legend. He received the Medal of Honor
for his service in Vietnam, but that came toward the end of an
already storied career.
During 35 years in the military, Day
served with various service branches during three major wars – World
War II, Korea and Vietnam – and spent nearly six years as a prisoner
during the latter conflict.
Day was only 17 when he entered
the Marine Corps at his hometown of Sioux City, Iowa, in 1942. He
spent nearly three years fighting the Japanese in the South Pacific
during World War II before returning home. He joined the Army
Reserve during that time, went to college and got a law degree.
In 1950, Day joined the Air National Guard and was called up to
active-duty service a year later, where he trained to be a fighter
pilot during the Korean War. From that time on, he worked his way up
the ranks in the Air Force.
The pinnacle of Day’s career came
during Vietnam. On Aug. 26, 1967, Day – now 43 years old and a major
– was in command of a squadron of F-100s, famously known as the
Misty forward air controllers, who were flying a top-secret mission
over North Vietnam and Laos.
His plane was shot down by
ground fire, and as he ejected, he broke his right arm in three
places. The second airman in the plane with him was rescued, but
enemy forces were waiting for Day when he landed. He was questioned
and tortured – a process that would happen continually over the next
several years of his life.
Five days into his initial
imprisonment, Day managed to escape the camp at which he was being
held. Despite injuries and a lack of boots, he managed to evade
enemy patrols for days by hiding in the dense jungle and eating
berries and frogs.
Day made it about 25 miles from the camp –
even crossing the demilitarized zone back into South Vietnam –
before he was discovered by Viet Cong, shot in the thigh and hand,
and recaptured. At the time, he was only about two miles from the
Marine base at Con Thien.
Day was taken back to the camp from
which he’d escaped and further tortured before being sent to the
infamous “Hanoi Hilton,” a prison for American POWs that was known
for its inhumane conditions and treatment. For more than five years,
Day was singled out and tortured. His wounds were never treated and
his weight went down to about 100 pounds, but he never gave up any
useful information to the enemy.
During one now-famous
incident, when guards with rifles burst into an area where the
Americans were holding a forbidden religious service, Day started
down the barrel of one of the guard’s rifles and began to sing “The
Star-Spangled Banner.” The other POWs joined in.
On March 14,
1973, after the U.S. agreed to withdraw from the war, Day was
released. He had spent 67 months in captivity and had even been
promoted to colonel while he was there.
Despite the physical
devastation of his imprisonment, Day fought hard to get well. A year
after his release, he was back on flight status, having qualified as
an F-4 pilot. He became the vice commander of the 33rd Tactical
Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
In March 1976,
three years after his release from prison, Day was presented with
the Medal of Honor by President Gerald Ford. He retired from active
service about a year later and spent the rest of his life advocating
for military medical benefits.
Day died in July 2013. U.S.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who shared a cell with Day during their
POW days in Vietnam, spoke at the colonel’s funeral.
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August 1, 2013 - Pallbearers, made up of Airmen and Marines, carry the casket of retired U.S. Air Force Col. George "Bud" Day during his funeral service at Barrancas National Cemetery on Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Day, a Medal of Honor recipient and combat pilot with service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, passed away July 27,
2013 at the age of 88. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. John Bainter)
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“I had the privilege of being Bud’s friend for almost
five decades of his 88 years,” McCain said. “He was a hard
man to kill and expected the same from his subordinates, but
more than that, he taught me how to save my self-respect and
my honor, and that is a debt I can never repay.”
Having received nearly 70 military decorations and awards
throughout his career – more than 50 of which were earned
during combat – Day is often cited as being the most
decorated U.S. service member since World War II’s Army Gen.
Douglas MacArthur. He is still the only person to have been
awarded both the Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross.
By Katie Lange
D0D News
Copyright 2017
George Day's Medal of Honor Citation
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