ALAN LESLIE BRUNSTROM
Rank/Branch: United States Air Force/O4
Date of Birth: 25 March 1931
Home City of Record: Miami FL
Date of Loss: 22 April 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 214200 North 1064000 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: RF101C #0090
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno: 0312
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: 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).
ALAN L. BRUNSTROM
Colonel - United States Air Force
Shot Down: April 22, 1966
Released: February 12, 1973
I was born March 25, 1931 in Menominee Michigan
I attended a one room rural school until
completion of the sixth grade. At that time, I
moved to Fargo, North Dakota for the seventh
grade. Following that year we moved to central
Missouri where I completed elementary and high
school. Ever since I was a small boy, I wanted to
be an Air Force pilot so at the age of seventeen
I joined the Air Force. I went through basic
training at Lackland AFB, Texas and then to
Airplane and Engine Mechanics school at Kessler
AFB, Mississippi. Following this I was sent to
Rhein Main AB in Germany for the Berlin Airlift.
Upon my return to the US, I went to Aircraft
Engine school at Chanute AFB, Illinois and on to
Castle AFB, California in B-50 maintenance. I
left Castle as a S/Sgt. for flight training as
an Aviation Cadet at Hondo AB, Texas; Greenville
AFB, Mississippi and James Connally AFB, Texas. I
was commissioned 2 November 1953 and got my wings
1 December 1953. I proceeded to F-84 Gunnery
school at Laughlin AFB, Texas and Luke AFB,
Arizona and on to K-2 Taegu, Korea.
I returned to Nellis AFB, Nevada where I
instructed in the T-33, and F-86-F/H and flew the
C-119 and C-123 support aircraft for the USAF
Thunderbirds for two years. In the summer of
1958, I attended Squadron Officers School at
Maxwell AFB, Alabama. I spent the next five years
in the Air Defense Command as an Intercept
Director, advisor to the Japanese and Thai Air
Force and Air Division operations staff officer
at McChord AFB, Washington, Northern Japan,
Thailand, and Syracuse, New York.
In the spring of 1964 I went to Shaw AFB, South
Carolina for the RF-101 course. I was TDY to Hq.
13th Air Force at Clark AB, Philippine Islands
for five months in 1965. In December 1965 I was
sent PCS to Tan Son Nhut AB, Saigon and in March
1966 to Udorn AB, Thailand. I flew 115 combat
missions (250 hours combat time) and on April 22,
1966 I was downed by AAA over a target on the NE
Railroad approximately 60 miles north of Hanoi. I
was immediately captured and held prisoner until
my release in February 1973.
After a long rest period my duty assignment was
to the Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama
and then on to college to get a BS in business to
be completed in a year. l still look forward to
getting back into the fighter flying game again.
While I was gone, my wife, Helen, made good use
of her time by acquiring a BS and an ME with
emphasis on Biology at the University of Miami.
Our daughter, Kathy, has been a straight A
student since kindergarten and soon completes the
8th grade.
I was a prisoner for almost seven years and
during this time I was associated with many men
from different services. I can honestly say I
have never known a finer group of men. I am
extremely proud of all of them. We did many
things to help each other through our darkest
hours, but the thing that was most helpful was
our faith - faith in God, faith in our country,
our Commander-in-chief, and the American people
as well as our families. I am grateful to be a
part of a wonderful country and a wonderful
people - The American People!
November 1996
Alan Brunstrom retired from the United States Air
Force as a Colonel. He and Helen live in Florida.
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