Lance P. Sijan Born in Milwaukee

Summary

Lance Peter Sijan was born on April 13, 1942, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He entered the United States Air Force Academy and graduated in 1965 before completing pilot training and becoming an F-4 Phantom II fighter pilot. During the Vietnam War, Sijan was flying a combat mission over North Vietnam on November 9, 1967, when his aircraft was disabled and he ejected. Seriously injured, he survived for weeks while evading capture without normal supplies or assistance. After North Vietnamese forces captured him, Sijan escaped despite his injuries but was recaptured. He was later imprisoned in Hanoi, where fellow prisoners reported that he resisted interrogation despite severe physical mistreatment and declining health. Sijan died in captivity on January 22, 1968. President Gerald Ford posthumously awarded him the Medal of Honor in 1976 for his conduct after the crash, escape attempts, and resistance while a prisoner.