Rank/Branch: O3/United States Air Force
Date of Birth: 17 November 1945
Home City of Record: Miami FL
Date of Loss: 01 July 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 211600 N 1061200 E
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:F4E, No: 277
Missions: 40 SVN, 62 NVN, 280 Laos and 20 Cambodia
Other Personnel in Incident: Paul K. Robinson,
returnee, AC
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK March 1997
from one or more of the following: raw data from
U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence
with POW/MIA families, published sources,
interviews.
REMARKS: 730328 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).
KEVIN JOSEPH CHENEY
Captain - United States Air Force
Shot Down: July 1, 1972
Released: March 28, 1973
After graduating from the University of Florida,
I attended OTS class 69-02 and was commissioned
in September 1968. I graduated from navigator
training in October 1969 and finished F-4 RTU at
Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona in August 1970. I
reported to Korat RTAFB, Thailand in September
1970 and extended for a second tour, all of
which was spent as Tiger FAC
I was shot down 1 July 1972 over Kep Airfield
while flying with Major Paul K Robinson. We were
both captured immediately and spent the next
seven months in the "Hanoi Hilton" complex. We
were transferred to the "Zoo" for the last two
months prior to our release on 28 March 1973.
My most memorable moments while in captivity came
when I found and became acquainted with Col.
Lawrence Guarino who had been captured in 1965.
His oldest son and I had shared an apartment
while in college, during which time I met Col.
Guarino's wife and three other sons. The
information that Col. Guarino and I were able to
exchange while in prison was a big aid to both of
us. I was very fortunate to have been put in the
same camp with him.
I plan on making the Air Force a career and am
currently attending UPT at Moody AFB, Ga. My
parents and five brothers and sisters all live in
Miami, Florida, which is where I call home. I
would like to thank people everywhere for their
prayers, thoughts, and for simply "caring" both
for us who returned and especially those who did
not return. I hope the prayers, thoughts and
efforts continue until our MIA's are reasonably
accounted for.
February 1997 with information provided by Col.
Cheney. At the time of his capture, Kevin Cheney
was on his 2nd tour and flying F4e's. He unit was
the 469TFS, 388TFW and during his tour he flew 40
missions over SVN, 62 over NVN, 280 over Laos and
20 over Cambodia. By the time he was captured, he
had completed more than 400 missions. He had
minor burns and shrapel wounds from the shootdown,
but recalls torture was not as bad for him as for
those captured earlier in the war. He "only" had
some beatings, was held in leg irons, was deprived
sleep, food and water. He still says his captivity
was worthwhile, because he had been able to bring
Larry Guarino news of his family. "Life only gets
better following a POW experience", he says now.
After his release, he was awarded he Joint
Meritorious Service Medal as well as the POW medal.
He returned to school for further military training
following captivity in OTS, UNT, UPT, and ACSC.
Kevin Cheney retired from the United States Air
Force as a Lt. Colonel in 1995. By then, he had
accumulated more than 4000 hours of flight time and
over 3000 hours in the Phantom. He currently enjoys
flying, youth sports, and cross country travel
visiting friends. Kevin and his wife Kathy reside
in Georgia. They have one son, Patrick.
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