CERAK, JOHN P.

Name: John P. Cerak
Rank/Branch: O3/United States Air Force, pilot
Unit: 308th TFS
Date of Birth: 22 November 1944
Home City of Record: Clayton NJ
Date of Loss: 27 June 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 210900 North 1050300 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4E
Missions: 254
Other Personnel in Incident:

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

JOHN PAUL CERAK
Captain- United States Air Force
Shot Down: June 27, 1972
Released: March 28, 1973

I was shot down on 27 June 1972 and released on 28 March 1973 thus making my
period of captivity relatively short compared to many others. My experiences
were similar to those of many others captured at this time in the war and as
they are included in this book on other pages I won't go into them. One thing
worth mentioning is the fact that while I was there I was able to come into
contact with POWs who had been held in captivity much longer than myself.
These men went through unfathomable hardship and the manner in which they
endured made me feel proud to be an American.

My greatest worry while I was there was for my family, especially for my son
who was growing up without his father. I am home now and those worries are
over, but unfortunately this is not the case for many families. Many of us
consider our sacrifices worth it, but we will never be able to pay off the
debt we owe to the families of those who made the supreme sacrifice.

November 1996
John Cerak and his wife Susan reside in Georgia.

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