Last Vietnam POW Pilot Retires From Air Force
From Times Wire Reports
The last Vietnam War POW flying for the U.S. military has called it a career, reluctantly retiring after 44 years in uniform.
Maj. Gen. Edward Mechenbier, who reached the Air Force’s mandatory retirement age for his rank at 62, was honored at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton. Mechenbier spent six years in a Vietnamese prison after his fighter was shot down.
“If we didn’t have an age-limit law, Gen. Mechenbier would not step down,” said Gregory Martin, commander of Air Force Materiel Command.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
