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Name: James
Lasley Lamar
Rank/Branch: O5/United States Air Force
Unit: 421st TFS
Date of Birth: 18 September 1927
Home City of Record: Eudora AR
Date of Loss: 06 May 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 213900N 1045100E
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D
Missions: 84
Other Personnel in Incident: none
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Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK April 1995
from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government
agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published
sources, interviews.
REMARKS: 730212
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).
JAMES LESLEY LAMAR
Colonel - United States Air Force
Shot Down: May 6, 1966
Released: February 12, 1973
Born 18 September 1927 in Eudora, Arkansas. Graduated from high
school in 1944 at DeWitt, Arkansas. Graduated from college in
1963 under the "bootstrap" program with a B. S. degree
from Oklahoma University.
US Naval Reserve from 1945 to 1948 (active duty, EM, 1 July 1945
to 24 August 1946). US Air Force from October 1948 to present.
Was an Aviation Cadet from October 1948 to September 1949 and
received my commission 30 September 1949. Fighter pilot in Japan
and Korea from November 1949 to March 1951. Flew 100 combat
missions in Korea in F-51 and F-80 aircraft. Was fighter gunnery
instructor at Luke AFB, Arizona from July 1951 to August 1955 in
F-51, F-84E, F-84G and F-84F aircraft. Then to Kadena AB, Okinawa
as a fighter pilot from September 1955 to March 1958 in the F-86
and F-100 aircraft. Instructor of pilot training at Vance AFB,
Oklahoma from May 1958 to April 1963 in T-33 and T-37 aircraft.
From May 1963 to November 1965, was a fighter pilot at George AFB
and McConnell AFB in the F-105 aircraft. Back to SEA to Korat AB,
Thailand as a fighter pilot in the F-105 from November 1965 to
May 1966. POW in North Vietnam from 6 May 1966 to 12 February
1973.
I have four children (girl, girl, boy, girl). My future plans are
to attend Senior service school (Industrial College of the Armed
Forces, National War College, or USAF War College), concurrently
obtain an MS in Political Science, and then attend the POW Pilot
Recurrency Program at Randolph AFB. I plan to remain in the USAF
until retirement after 30 years, on September 30, 1979.
I was shot down on 6 May 1966, while piloting an F-105D aircraft
on my 84th combat mission over North Vietnam, dive-bombing a
military target near the town of Yen Bai, NVN. North Vietnamese
peasants captured me but did not mistreat me. However, during the
six years nine months and six days of my captivity, I was
tortured on four separate occasions, beaten, harassed and
humiliated on many other occasions. I was also constantly
bombarded with propaganda designed to undermine my faith in God,
my country and my family. During these years I turned to God for
help and my prayers were answered many times. With this help from
above and with the help of fellow prisoners I was able not only
to maintain but to strengthen this faith. In particular, I was
inspired by the examples set by Colonel John Peter Flynn, Colonel
Robinson Risner and Navy Captains James B. Stockdale, Jeremiah A.
Denton and F.A. Franke, Jr.
December 1996 James Lamar retired from the United States Air
Force as a Colonel. He and his wife Judy reside in Texas.
As long as
even one American remains alive, held against his will, we must
do everything possible to bring him home alive.
POW/MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W.
NETWORK Skidmore, MO.
USA
