Word Celebrity Blog

Col. George E. "Bud" Day


Recently retired Col. George E. "Bud" Day has caused a great deal of commentary by some of his comments which were called to be bigoted and racist. It is not the first time that "Bud" Day has been the center of controversy by something he has said.

Retired Col. George E. "Bud" Day has the right as an American citizen to express his opinions in written text or vocal speech.

In order to give a balanced account, I will first post verified facts from sources that are supportive of "Bud" Day's claims and finish the post from a source that is critical of him.


The sources for this post is from - George "Bud" Day,  Richard C. Barrett,   Robert Coram,   John L. Frisbee and public records.

George "Bud" Day was born in 1925, on the wrong side of the tracks in Sioux City, Iowa. He grew up during the "Great Depression". His father had to hustle for jobs for most of Bud's childhood, and hunting and fishing were sometimes the only way to feed the family.

In late 1942, George Day quit high school at the age of 17, he persuaded his parents into letting him join the Marine Corps. 

"Bud" Day spent nearly 30 months in the South Pacific during World War II. While he was a member of a replacement group, in the spring of 1943, he had a shipboard injury that put him in the hospital in Hawaii for five months. He then served in a 5-inch gun and searchlight battery on Johnson Island, near Midway Atoll.

"It was the 3rd Defense Battalion," "Bud" Day remembered, "and I didn't get sent back until April 1945, to Honolulu and a national guard company."

After retuning to civilian life, "Bud" Day attended college on the GI Bill and then went on to earn a law degree. He was admitted to the South Dakota Bar in 1949(?).

After World War II, Day also continued to serve in the Army Reserve. In 1950 he joined the Iowa Air National Guard and received a direct commission as a second lieutenant. Called up for active duty a year later, he volunteered for pilot training. After earning his wings, he flew two air defense tours in the Far East as an F-84 pilot, including radar tracking missions against Soviet radar at Vladivostok Bay and along the Soviet coast. George "Bud" Day  held the dubious distinction of being the first jet pilot to survive a chuteless fall.





















While stationed in in Great Britain, he had punched out of a burning jet fighter at 300 feet, too low for his parachute to open. Fortunately, he landed in trees and survived with only a broken leg.

Following promotion to captain in 1955, he decided to make the Air Force a career.Although he had reached the point where he was eligible to retire from the Air Force, "Bud" Day went to Vietnam as a major, assigned to the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing.

On June 25, 1967, he became the first commander of Detachment 1, 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron, stationed at Phu Cat. "Bud" Day's unit, which had the call sign "Misty," flew F-100s as fast forward air controllers over North Vietnam and Laos. Their operations were in the hot areas north of the DMZ where slow-moving FAC aircraft couldn't survive. It was a high-risk, high-stress mission. "Bud" Day recalls that more than 40 percent of the "Misty" pilots were shot down in the unit's first six months of operation.

On August 26, 1967, "Bud Day" and Captain Corwin Kippenham were directing a strike on a surface-to-air missile site 20 miles north of the Demilitarized Zone. Day was flying his 67th mission over the North. Kippenham was on his checkout flight, and in the front seat of an F-100F for the first time. Ground fire from a 37mm gun ripped into the aircraft and destroyed the hydraulic controls. The pilots quickly punched out of their crippled plane, but upon ejecting, Day struck the fuselage and broke his left arm in three places, injured his left eye, hurt his back and badly sprained an ankle.

The North Vietnamese militiamen saw Day's parachute open and waited for him on the ground. "Bob" Day could see the rescue chopper picking up Kippenham about one-quarter mile away, but he was unable to establish contact on his survival radio.

He was captured immediately.The North Vietnamese stripped the injured pilot of his boots and flight suit and force-marched him to an underground shelter for initial interrogation. When he refused to cooperate, his captors staged a mock execution and then hung him from a rafter by his feet for several hours. They then put him in a hole outside the shelter, until the North Vietnamese could move him to a prison near Hanoi. They were confident he was so badly hurt that escape was impossible. He was tied with a loosely knotted rope, resembling clothesline rope.

On his fifth night in the camp, while his guard talked with another teenage soldier across the road, "Bud" Day freed himself and escaped. The dark night helped his escape, but the rocks and undergrowth cut his bare feet to ribbons. During his second night of his escape, an American bomb or rocket landed near him while he was sleeping in thick undergrowth. "Bob" Day suffered with a concussion, bleeding from his ears and nose, and carrying new fragmentation wounds in his leg,

He somehow managed to hobble south, eating berries and frogs and avoiding enemy patrols. When he managed to cross the Ben Hai River into South Vietnam, he was only a few miles from the Marine base at Con Thien. He swam the Ben Hait with the help of a bamboo log. It is said that he was the only escaped POW to ever make it out of North Vietnam.

Sometime between the 12th and 15th day after his escape "Bud" Day stumbled toward the sound of helicopters. Marine helicopters were extracting infantrymen. But by the time he got to the landing zone, they had already left.

The next morning, still heading south, " Bob" Day had the bad luck to run into a VC patrol. Shot in the leg and hand, Day limped away toward the jungle, but he was quickly overtaken. Fortunately, this VC unit had a medic with better medical skills than his first captors. The VC patched Day up and fed him to fortify him for the trek back to the camp he had escaped, at first carrying the battered airman on a stretcher.

Once he arrived back at his original camp, however, the North Vietnamese tortured him for the "crime" of escaping, rebreaking his arm in the process. The long, painful trek to Hanoi began.




















He arrived at Little Vegas, one of the prisons near Hanoi, completely unable to care for himself, but denied medical treatment.

Later he was transferred to The Zoo, "a bad treatment camp," where he was the senior officer. As the months dragged by, he was tortured many times for alleged transgressions by officers under his command. He was beaten, starved and tortured continually for being a troublemaker. His body weight at one point fell below 100 pounds. Although he had been punished many times for real and alleged transgressions of his junior-ranking POWs, Day steadfastly refused to give information that would have endangered American aircrews or served as Communist propaganda. He spent more than half his 67-month imprisonment in solitary confinement.

The notion of giving up, of course, was always there amongst the pain and darkness. Bob Day's thoughts concentrated on  his wife, his children, fishing trips, happy hour, anything that could take his mind off the incredible pain inflicted by his Communist jailors.


























Hanoi Hilton


The places where "Bud" Day and hundreds of other POWs were stretched to the limits of their endurance have many names, too. Hoa Lo Prison, called the Hanoi Hilton, is the most infamous. But there also were places like Heartbreak Hotel, New Guy Village, Riviera, Stardust, Thunderbird and Camp Hope. The latter, officially known as Son Tay, was the site of an unsuccessful rescue mission by American forces in November 1970.



















The North Vietnamese moved the POWs from camp to camp, sometimes on an apparent whim and at other times to exhibit them to visiting Americans and others friendly to the North Vietnamese cause. A prisoner might freeze in winter and roast in the summer. Rats, insects and disease lurked in the corners of the prisoners' cells.

The food was low calorie, small portions, and of poor quality. The only exceptions were when a POW was set for early release or the North Vietnamese thought the war might end. "Bud" Day recalled that after the 1968 Tet Offensive and during the presidential elections of 1968 and 1972, the abuse was less and the food was more and of better quality.

There were lows and highs, pain and relief. There were some small victories as well. Once, in a protest over the right to conduct prayer services, the POWs  refused to leave their building.  When Air Force Lt. Col. Robinson Risner and other POWs were taken out by force, "Bud" Day jumped up on his bed and started to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America." The entire room burst into song. As all the POWs joined in, their voices could be heard outside the 15-foot-high walls of the Hanoi Hilton. The North Vietnamese backed down that time, but if the prisoners pushed too far, they could be sure the punishment would be cruel and severe.


















Communication between cells and buildings was another small victory. The North Vietnamese tried but failed to stop the clandestine flow of information. Besides written messages, the techniques included standard Morse code, the alternate "Smitty Harris Tap Code," talking under doors and gesturing through windows. The POWs shared resistance plans, details of questioning sessions and the grim facts of torture sessions. "Bud" Day said this kept many men from going insane.

If a POW was caught passing messages, the retaliation was quick and brutal, sometimes fatal. In his book "Duty, Honor, Country", Bud Day recalled one barbaric beating early in his capture. Accused of communicating, he was taken from his cell, marched at gunpoint to the interrogator's office and asked to confess. "Bud" Day refused, sending his torturer, Goldie, into a rage. He was taken to a room that was flecked with brown stains, presumably blood from previous beatings. He was shackled by the feet and then ordered to drop his trousers. His wrists were then shackled. As Day recalled: "The manacles began to cut and gouge my wrists immediately, causing scars that remained for several years. My hands began to swell and throb."

During frequent interrogations, "Bud" Day steadfastly refused to give information that would endanger American aircrews or could have been used by the North Vietnamese for propaganda purposes. 37 months of his 5 1/2 year imprisonment was in solitary confinement.

In December 1972, President Richard Nixon ordered Operation Linebacker II — the bombing of North Vietnam — and the morale of the American POWs improved dramatically.

By early 1973, rumors began to spread of an impending release of prisoners. At the Paris peace talks, both sides finally reached an agreement on the release. "Bud" Day's name, however, was not on the supposedly complete roster of prisoners given to the American negotiators in Paris in December 1970.

After the U.S. government protested, "Bud" Day's name suddenly appeared on a new version of the list. On March 14, 1973, following 5 years and 7 months of indescribable horror, "Bud" Day flew out of Hanoi on a C-141 bound for the Philippines, and then on to Honolulu and March Air Force Base in California.

He returned home with honor, having bent but never broken to the enemy's relentless demands.

Now a freed man, "Bud" Day was eligible to retire from the military, but he also had been promoted two grades while he was in captivity. Since he was now a full colonel, he decided to remain in the Air Force, hoping he could achieve his general officer's star. Upon his release he was too weak to resume flying, but after a year of physical rehabilitation and 13 separate medical waivers, he finally returned to the cockpit.

 He underwent conversion training on the F-4 Phantom, and was then assigned as the vice commander of the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

On March 6, 1976, for his long-sustained heroism, Col. George Day, who previously had earned more than 60 decorations, including the Air Force Cross, was awarded the nation's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, from President Gerald Ford.



























Despite being a Medal of Honor recipient and one of the most experienced fighter pilots in the Air Force, George E. Day never did receive a promotion to brigadier general. Pondering that topic later, he noted, "That was pretty strange."

"Bud"Day retired from the Air Force in the spring of 1977 and returned to the practice of law. The only United States Air Force pilot with a law degree at the time, He took the Florida bar exam while he was still on active duty. Never one to sit on the sidelines of a good fight, he eventually found himself spearheading a huge class action suit against his former employer, the U.S. government.

It began one day in 1995, when Day sought medical treatment at Eglin Air Force Base, where he had been
treated many times since his retirement. This time, he was told that the rules for retirees had changed and that he should apply for Medicare instead. Outraged at what he considered a broken promise, he filed a lawsuit in 1996 on behalf of a group of retirees.


























Through the process of that suit, Day managed to get the government to admit that lifetime medical care had indeed been promised to military retirees, up to as recently as the military recruiting literature of the early 1990s. The government, however, countered that the promise had been made without legal authority. In 2001 a federal court ruled that the government had broken a legally binding promise, but the U.S. Court of Appeals overturned that ruling the following year. In June 2003, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case.


























"Bud" Day's health care battle was not fought entirely in vain, however. Reacting to appeals from various veterans' groups and the pressures of "Bob" Day's legal actions, the government finally introduced the Tricare for Life program for military retirees. Although short of the original promises, the new program is a substantial improvement over the previous policy of dumping military retirees into the Medicare system.




















"Bud" Day and his Wife Doris at a Vetran's Day Parade.


Despite his clash with the government, "Bud" Day still endorses military service. To today's young soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines he says: "You have the greatest job given to you as a young man: to serve your country. It's the single best calling for a young person."


























Vietnam and its legacy are never far from "Bob" Day's thoughts. He heads up a group of Vietnam veterans who are frustrated with the lack of public understanding of the war and the negative image of those who served there. The mission of the recently established Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation is to inform Americans about what really happened in Vietnam.

When asked whether people care anymore about a war that's been over for more than 30 years, "Bob" Day
replied: "The false history of Vietnam has been used to demoralize our troops in combat, undermine the public's confidence in U.S. foreign policy, and weaken our national security. Radical leftists, such as Jane Fonda, lied about the war 35 years ago, and are still lying about it today. The goal of the VVLF is to continue the work of countering more than three decades of misinformation and propaganda, and to set the record straight."




























The following books are about George "Bud" Day:

"Duty, Honor, Country", by George Day
"American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day", by Robert Coram.


















*****


















(The most recent statements that "Bud" Guy has made that caused a great deal of uproar was what he said when he was endorsing Charlie Crist for election.)


The criticism and the statement -

Charlie Crist wholeheartedly accepted this racist's endorsement. I guess when you're behind by double- digits, any help is appreciated.

"Bob" Day, however, said he questions Rubio’s “financial dealings” and views him as something of an Obama clone.

“You know, we just got through (electing) a politician who can run his mouth at Mach 1, a black one, and now we have a Hispanic who can run his mouth at Mach 1,” Day said. “You look at their track records and they’re both pretty gritty. Charlie has not got a gritty track record.”

Day confirmed he was speaking of Obama and Rubio. “You’ve got the black one with the reading thing. He can go as fast as the speed of light and has no idea what he’s saying,” Day said. “I put Rubio in that same category, except I don’t know if he’s using one of those readers.”

*****


 (This is a post that criticizes George "Bud" Day , mostly for politiciseing the Medal Of Honor. The text of this was posted 5 years ago by another individual.)


Colonel George "Bud" Day



























Former Air Force colonel and Medal of Honor recipient George "Bud" Day, 83, has been a close friend of presidential candidate John McCain since 1967 when they shared a cell for 3 months in a Vietnamese POW camp.

For years, Day has been waving his Medal of Honor at political events in support of McCain's political
ambitions. His politicizing of our highest military award for valor has bothered me for as many years.

When I finally took a look at his Medal of Honor Citation, some discrepancies stood out like festering thumb splinter.

Day, who claims to be the most decorated serviceman since Gen. Douglas MacArthur with more than 70 medals including the Medal of Honor, is McCain's leading frontman and apologist.


























North Vietnamese gunners shot Day down Aug. 26, 1967, two months before they shot Navy pilot John McCain's bomber out of the sky on October. 26.

When "Bud" Day ejected from his crippled F-!00, he broke his right arm in three places when he struck the side of the cockpit. He also sustained eye, leg and back injuries.

Although "Bud" Day and John McCain suffered similar injuries, they had unique POW experiences. "Bud" Day claims he escaped after being "hung upside down and severely tortured for two days." He said that despite being "barefooted, severely crippled, disoriented, vomiting blood" and with no equilibrium, he outran enemy soldiers and their tracking dogs for two days before being captured again. "Bud" Day said he managed to escape again outrunning the enemy and their dogs for nearly two weeks before he was captured a third and final time.

"Bud" Day was released after five years and seven months as a North Vietnamese prisoner on Mar. 14, 1973. Three years later, President Gerald Ford awarded Day the Medal of Honor citing his personal bravery "above and beyond the call of duty" while a captive in North Vietnam.

John McCain's right arm was broken in three places and his left arm and right knee were fractured when he ejected.

He says that on his fourth day of captivity, he was so sure he was going to die if he did not get special medical treatment, he offered the communists "military information" in exchange for taking him to a hospital.

After being told that John McCain's father and grandfather were famous high-ranking American admirals, the Vietnamese rushed the seriously injured McCain to Gai Lam military hospital (U.S. government documents), a medical facility normally unavailable to treat United States POWs. John McCain's father, Admiral John McCain, was later appointed commander of all United States forces fighting in Vietnam. His grandfather was a famous WWII admiral.

Because the communists believed John McCain was from "royal family," they considered him a "crown prince" who would when finally released return to the United States to an important military or
government job.

While being treated in the hospital, John McCain made a series of propaganda statements for the communist including at least one television interview during which he gave specific "military information" pertaining to his mission. McCain was quoted in the communist press describing the number of aircraft in his flight, information about rescue ships and the order of which his attack was supposed to take place.

In December, six weeks after he was shot down, the Vietnamese transferred John McCain from the hospital to a POW camp called "The Plantation" and into the hands of "Bud" Day and Air Force Major Norris Overly.

George Day and Overly helped nurse John McCain until he was eventually able to walk by himself. "Bud" Day spent about three months with McCain before he was moved to another camp.

John McCain was released from captivity on March 14, 1973 after spending 5 ½ years as a POW. He returned to the United States to his wife Carol and children.

McCain was awarded a Silver Star Medal for resisting "extreme mental and physical cruelties" inflicted upon him by his captors from late October to early December 1967, the exact time frame during which McCain was in the hospital making propaganda statements for the enemy in exchange for medical treatment.

During their stay in POW camps, "Bud" Day and John McCain developed a close personal (and now political) friendship which continued after they were released in 1973.

In January 1980, soon after John McCain met Cindy Hensley, a former cheerleader whose family owned one of the country's largest Anheuser-Busch distributorship, it was "Bud" Day, then a Fort Walton Beach attorney, who McCain called on to file divorce papers against his wife Carol.

While John McCain was imprisoned, Carol McCain was in an auto wreck (Christmas Eve 1969). She was
thrown through her car's windshield and left permanently crippled. Despite her injures, she refused to allow her POW husband to be notified about her condition, fearing that such news would not be good for him while he was being held prisoner.

When John McCain returned to the United States in 1973 after more than five years as a prisoner of war, he found his wife was a different person. The accident "left her 4 inches shorter" and on crutches, and she had gained a good deal of weight.

John McCain wasted no time before he was out on the town partying. While Executive Officer and later as Squadron Commander of a Navy training unit, John McCain used his authority to arrange frequent flights that allowed him to carouse with female subordinates and "engage in extramarital affairs"

John McCain eventually met Cindy Hensley, 17 years his junior, and fell in love at first sight. "Bud"  Day used the soft touch of his friendship with Carol to obtain an uncontested divorce from her in Florida on April 2, 1980. John McCain promptly married Cindy Hensley on May 17, 1980. Today, Cindy Hensley McCain is said to be worth 100 million dollars.

When John McCain set out to help Hanoi by discrediting POW/MIA families, former POWs and veterans who were demanding no normalized trade or diplomatic relations with Vietnam until Hanoi accounted for the
POWs known to have been alive in captivity, but never released, "Bud" Day, unhesitatingly answered the call.


























In a Jan. 24, 2000 letter to conservative columnist Paul Weyrich, "Bud" Day described POW/MIA activists as "a cottage industry of nut cases and 'Bring them Home' frauds that victimized POW families and the public after we [United States prisoners of war] were released from Vietnam." He signed off in the letter with "George 'Bud' Day, Medal of Honor, POW 1967-1973."

"Bud" Day was upset over a column in which Weyrick quoted Col. Earl Hopper, Ret., a former chairman of the board of the National League of Families, criticizing John McCain for "never turning a finger to help any of the [POW-MIA] families."

Earl Hopper, a Vietnam veteran and father of MIA Lt. Col. Earl P. Hopper, Jr., lost over North Vietnam in 1968, contends that at a minimum, 66 men were left behind when John McCain and the other POWs were released in 1973.

Former North Carolina Congressman Bill Hendon and MIA daughter, Elizabeth Stewart put the number much higher in their book "An Enormous Crime." Earl Hopper says that John McCain undermined every effort to get the federal government to acknowledge that men were left behind.

Here are the names of some returned POWs "Bud" Day slandered with his "Bring them Home frauds"
remarks: Navy Captain Eugene "Red" McDaniel, Col. Ted Guy (deceased), Ltc Col. Nick Rowe (deceased),
Msg. Daniel L. Pitzer (deceased), Maj. Mark Smith, Mike Benge, Larry Stark and Maj. John Parcels.

During that same period, "Bud" Day emailed me a mean spirited letter in response to articles that was
written questioning John McCain's behavior while a prisoner. He called the author a liar and falsely claimed that it was impossible for McCain to have collaborated with the enemy because he knew where John McCain was and what he was doing during the entire 5 ½ years John McCain was held POW. That was an impossible feat since McCain claims he spent most of his time being tortured in solitary confinement away from other U.S. POWs.




















"Bud" Day and his Medal of Honor have been thrust to the front of McCain's campaign again, this time to deflect criticism of John McCain and give testimony about the "strength of John McCain's character."

Just before the South Carolina primary, a flier was released to the South Carolina press for Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain that offered specific information detailing John McCain's collaborations with the enemy. Canadate McCain's campaign responded immediately, parading was releasedDay in front of the press introducing him as "a famously heroic Medal of Honor winner who also shared a cell with McCain."

On cue, "Bob" Day stepped before the cameras and declared the flier "the most outrageous f--king lie I've ever heard." "Bob" Day claims that John McCain's collaborations with the enemy were technically not violations of the Military Code of Conduct.

Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions on Jan. 6, 1968, near Chu Lai, South Vietnam said the following of the Medal of Honor: "I was awarded the Medal of Honor, but my fellow soldiers who supported me in the actions and took the time to write it up earned it. I wear it for them. They own my medals. And every Medal of Honor recipient and hero I know believes as I do. Medals should be a sign of patriotism, a symbol of sacrifice, support and defense of a great nation.

The highest form of patriotism is service to our youth; heroes also wear their medal for them to signal the importance of courage. Heroes do not use their medals for personal political gain. As I said they are not theirs to use."

During the 2004 election, "Bob" Day used his Medal of Honor to weigh in on the controversy surrounding presidential candidate John Kerry's military service and medals. "Bob" Day was very critical of John Kerry, declaring that by bringing up his Vietnam service John Kerry had "opened up his character as a war hero" for criticism. "Bob" Day said, "Kerry's character is not only fair game, it is the primary issue."

"Bob" Day has habitably and fragrantly politicized his Medal of Honor. By using it's awe inspiring prestige as authorization to attack the credibility of other POWs, veterans and POW/MIA family members, he has "opened up his character as a war hero" to questions about the award of his Medal of Honor.

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is awarded by the President in the name of Congress to a military person who distinguishes himself or herself significantly by gallantry above and beyond the call of duty while engaged against an enemy of the United States.

The deed performed must have been one of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so outstanding as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life.Unquestionable proof in the form of eyewitnesses to the deed is required before the award of the Medal of Honor can be considered.

Other than surviving captivity, exactly what deed did "Bob" Day perform that was "above and beyond the call of duty?"

What life threatening action of personal bravery and self-sacrifice did Day perform that "clearly distinguished" him above his comrades?

The following is a paraphrased account of "Bob" Day's escape and evasion  from the North Vietnamese that United States authorities used to justify awarding him the Medal of Honor:  On 26 August1967, Air Force Major George "Bud" Day was forced to eject from his aircraft over North Vietnam when it was hit by ground fire.

During the ejection, his right arm was broken in 3 places, and his left knee badly sprained. Upon landing, "Bob" Day was immediately captured by hostile forces and taken to a prison camp where he was hung upside down and severely tortured for two days.

"Bob" Day managed to escape on September 1. Barefooted and severely crippled, he traveled south for 2 days outrunning enemy soldiers who were using dogs ... both of his feet became bruised and cut from sharp rocks and battle debris.

On September 3, "Bob" Day was wounded again from either a bomb or rocket. The blast ruptured his eardrums and sinuses. Shrapnel cut large open wounds in his right leg. He became disoriented and began vomiting blood and lost equilibrium. Totally debilitated, he crawled into bushes and lay hidden for two days.

Although seriously wounded, with an arm broken in 3 places, a severely swollen knee, ruptured eardrums, large open wounds in his leg, vomiting blood and no equilibrium, "Bob" Day managed to resume his escape south on September 5. Existing only on berries and two raw frogs, he wandered aimlessly for several more days.

Despite all his broken bones and other injuries, on approximately September 8, Day swam the Ben Hai River which marked the boundaries of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam. For another week, "Bob" Day evaded communist patrols in South Vietnam.

Sometime on or about September 15, "Bob" Day was surprised by an enemy patrol. Although, shot and wounded again, this time in his left hand and thigh, he managed to escape once more, staying on the run for another day and a half.

On Sept.17, 22 days after being shot down, Day was recaptured and marched to a POW camp back in North Vietnam. The communists tortured him for 48 hours straight causing him to become totally incapacitated and unable perform even the simplest task. His wounds festered into dangerous infection and his captors continued to refuse him medical treatment.

Sometime in middle November, "Bob" Day was sent north to the infamous Hoa Lo prison camp where he was subjected to non-stop torture and refused any type of medical treatment. Finally, this captors had totally destroyed him physically.

Near the end of November, about two months after "Bob" Day was shot down, he was placed into a prison cell with Unitwd States POW Norris Overly.

In December, the Vietnamese put seriously injured POW John McCain in the cell with "Bob" Day and Norris Overly. They took care of John McCain until he was able to walk again.





















By involving his Medal of Honor in politics and using it as an authority to trash other veterans, Norris Day has "opened up his character as a war hero" for criticism. Norris Day planted the standard for himself when he said that "John Kerry's character is not only fair game, it is the primary issue." "Bob" Day's character and the legitimacy of his Medal of Honor "is not only fair game, it is the primary issue."

Military regulation requires that before the award of a Medal of Honor can be considered, unquestionable proof in the form of eyewitnesses must be provided.

"Bob" Day had no witnesses because he was alone. Why was the "eye witnesses" requirement waived for Day? Who approved "Bob" Day for the Medal of Honor and did John McCain or his admiral father have anything to do with it?

John McCain and Bud Day have formed a political tag team to deflect inquiries about John McCain's questionable conduct while in captivity. They have cynically used the Medal of Honor as a shield - but in the process they have stained it.

(I may not like some of the things "Bob" Day has done or said, but as an American he has EVERY RIGHT TO DO SO.  I do not believe that anyone that you may disagree politically or philosophically should be demonized or punished just because they disagree with you. I assert that every American POW of all wars are HEROES.  Some may be disturbed, deluded, drunkards, or wrong, but they our our AMERICAN HEROES and I am proud of ALL of them.)