GERNDT, GERALD LEE

Name: Gerald Lee Gerndt
Rank/Branch: O2/United States Air Force
Unit: 555th TFS
Date of Birth: 18 August 1942
Home City of Record: Oconto Falls WI
Date of Loss: 23 August 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 210500 North 1055500 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4D

Other Personnel in Incident: Robert Sawhill, returnee

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

GERALD LEE GERNDT
Captain - United States Air Force
Shot Down: August 23, 1967
Released: March 14, 1973

I was born August 18, 1942 at Oconto Falls, Wisconsin. I grew up on a dairy
farm near Suring, Wisconsin along with two younger brothers. I graduated
from the University of Wisconsin in January, 1945 with a B.S. in
Agriculture. Received a ROTC commission and attended pilot training at Reese
AFB, Lubbock, Texas.

I was flying an F4D with the 555th TFS out of Ubon, Thailand when our
aircraft crashed on 23 August 1967 and I was released from Hanoi on 14 March
1973. My immediate future plans are to do some more flying and to obtain a
Masters degree in Business Administration.

People have asked me what kept me going during our years of captivity and I
have answered-faith and good humor. The ability of the Americans to laugh at
themselves in the situation they were in, even in times of adversity
mystified our captors and provided a tremendous relief valve for our
emotions and frustrations.

Faith was our grappling hook, the thing we gripped most dearly, faith in
God, our country, our fellowman and our President. I would like to give a
special thank you to the President, who in the face of strong opposition,
made these important decisions which ultimately brought the war to a
conclusion. People say there are a lot of things wrong with our country
today. However, it is time people stopped talking and complaining about what
is wrong and started working to correct these problems and to make the
United States an even greater country. God Bless America.

December 1996
Gerald and his wife Donna reside in Wisconsin.

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