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Video by Sarayuth Pinthong

Freedom Flyer wreath laying ceremony

502nd Air Base Wing

April 11, 2025 | 31:49

Retired U.S. Navy Capt. David Carey became the 215th Freedom Flyer more than five decades after his capture and imprisonment during the Vietnam War. Carey was deployed aboard the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) when he was forced to eject over North Vietnam on August 31, 1967. He spent 2,022 days in captivity before being released on March 14, 1973, during Operation Homecoming. The POW symposium highlights first-hand accounts of captivity and survival as an American POW in North Vietnam. The Freedom Flight symbolizes a return to the skies for those once grounded in captivity. Since the inaugural flight in 1973, the 560th FTS has flown 215 former POWs, reinforcing its unique role in honoring those who endured the hardships of war and captivity. (U.S. Air Force video by Sarayuth Pinthong)