FLYNN, JOHN PETER
Deceased
Name: John Peter Flynn
Rank/Branch: United States Air Force/O6
Unit: 388 TFW
Date of Birth: 17 July 1922
Home City of Record: Cleveland OH
Date of Loss: 27 October 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 210700 North 1055700 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105
Missions:
USA Air Corp in WWII - flew P-51 bomber escort missions in Italy
USAF In Korea - flew the F-80 in 118 missions
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno:
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: 730314 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 P. FLYNN
Major General - United States Air Force
Shot Down: October 17, 1967
Released: March 14, 1973
Brigadier General John P. Flynn is currently assigned as Commander, USAF
Military Training Center, Lackland AFB, Texas.
General Flynn was born on 17 July 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio. He holds a Bachelor
of Science degree from the University of Maryland and a Masters of Arts in
International Relations from George Washington University. He is also a
graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College and the National War
College.
He entered into the Aviation Cadet Program in October 1942 and graduated from
Pilot Training in May 1944 from Moore Field, Mission, Texas. Immediately
after graduation, he went to a P-40 Replacement Training Unit and from there
joined the 31 st Fighter Wing in Italy, flying P-51 's, escorting B-17's and
B-24's over Germany until the end of the European war. He was en route to
Japan when the war ended and was transferred to the 20th Fighter Wing at Biggs
Air Force Base, Texas, where he flew the P-51 in aerial demonstration teams.
In the fall of 1946, he was assigned to the second Jet class at Williams Air
Force Base, Arizona, to fly the Air Force's first Jet aircraft, the P-80
Shooting Star. From there he was assigned as an RF-80 Reconnaissance Pilot in
the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, March Air Force Base, California. In
August 1948, he was transferred to the 49th Fighter Wing, Misawa, Japan where
he served as a Flight Commander and Assistant Group Operations Officer, flying
P-51's and P-80's. At the outbreak of the Korean War, he deployed with the
49th where he flew a tour in fighter bombers in P-80's. In February 1951, upon
completion of this combat tour, he joined the 20th Fighter Bomber Wing at Shaw
Air Force Base, South Carolina, and later to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia,
as Assistant Group Operations Officer.
One year later, he deployed with the Wing to Wethersfield, UK, at part of
SACEUR's first Atomic Strike Force, and later served as Division Plans and as
Division Operations and Training in the 49th Air Division, Sculthorpe, UK. In
May 1956, he was transferred to the newly formed Headquarters 19th Air Force,
Foster Air Force Base, Victoria, Texas, as Chief of Plans. He deployed with
the 19th Air Force to Adana, Turkey for the Lebanese Contingency as an
Operations Officer. He returned from Lebanon in October 1958. In December 1958
to June 1959, he attended the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia.
He then proceeded to Headquarters USAF where he served as JCS Action Officer
in the Strategic Weapons Plans Division, Deputy Chief of Staff/Plans and
Programs. From August 1963 to July 1964, he attended the National War College.
In August 1964, he was transferred to Germany where he served as the Wing
Deputy Commander for Operations with the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing at
Spangdahlem Air Force Base, Germany, where he flew the F-105 Thunderchief. In
June 1966, he became the Director of the Operational Readiness Inspection, Hq
USAFE, in Wiesbaden, Germany, flying the F4 Phantom. In August 1967, he joined
the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Korat, Thailand as Vice Commander, flying the
F-105. He was shot down by a SAM missile over Hanoi on 29 October 1967, where
he remained a prisoner until his release on 14 March 1973. Thereafter, he was
assigned as Vice Commandant Air War College and Commandant, Air Command &
Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. On 15 August 1974 he assumed his
present position.
His military decorations and awards include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit
with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with six oak leaf clusters,
Air Medal with 14 clusters, Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster. He is a
Command Pilot with more than 4,000 hours flying time, most of which is in
single engine jet aircraft.
General Flynn is married to the former Mary Margaret Sullivan of Cleveland,
Ohio. They have five children-Sheila, Michaela, Bridget, Sean and Kevin. Two
of his daughters are married.
"If there is any message that I could put into words, it would be one of
tribute to the American people who stood behind us during our captivity and
welcomed us home so warmly. We were privileged to serve our country and the
kindnesses extended to us by our fellow Americans made every hour in Hanoi
worth it."
Flynn retired from the United States Air Force as a L/General.
Ret. L/General John "Sky" Flynn passed away March 5, 1997 after a long
illness. He had been residing in an Army Retirement Community in San Antonio
with Mary Margaret.
Mary Margaret passed away August 26, 1999.
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