BYRNS, WILLIAM G.

Name: William G. Byrns
Rank/Branch: O3/United States Air Force, pilot
Unit: 435th TFS
Date of Birth: 21 December 1943
Home City of Record: St. Louis MO
Date of Loss: 23 May 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 170800 North 1064700 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4D
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident: William Bean

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: 730328 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).
UPDATE - 09/95 by the P.O.W. NETWORK, Skidmore, MO

WILLIAM G. BYRNS
Captain - United States Air Force
Shot Down: May 23, 1972
Released: March 28, 1973

I am a Captain in the Air Force. I have been in the service six years and
was shot down in an F-4 over North Vietnam on 23 May 1972 and was released
28 March 1973. I have an AB degree in Sociology from William Jewell College
in Liberty Missouri where I played football and track.

I plan to make the Air Force my career and am going back to fly F-4's. I am
married to a wonderful Christian girl named Joanne who is from Missouri. We
have 3 son four years old named Scotty and a new daughter named Sarah born
25 January 1974. I came from an Air Force family. My Dad, a retired fighter
pilot is now teaching High School in Bartow Florida. My Mom is a nurse at
Lakeland Florida General Hospital. I also have one sister.

My message consists of some thoughts I would like to share:

The sustaining force throughout my captivity and my life is Jesus Christ. As
long as I could keep my eyes on Him and my life committed to Him I was all
right. One scripture means very much to me: "If God be for us who can be
against us." Also Jesus promised "I will never leave you nor forsake you." I
claimed these promises and they became very real to me. Many blessings have
come out of this tribulation. Christians are not without problems but they
are free from defeat through Christ. I praise God and thank Him. By His
Grace we are free. I thank America and our President God Bless America!

November 1996
William Byrns is a Colonel in the United States Air Force. He remains active
with the Air Force ROTC program and is a professor of Aerospace Studies.
He and his wife Joanne reside in Kansas.

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