Mo. Wing Members Hear From Former Vietnam War POW

Members of Missouri Wing’s St. Louis Composite Squadron, Wentzville Composite Squadron, and Gateway Senior Squadron participated in a presentation by Col. John W. Clark (Ret.), USAF, at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, MO, on September 20th in cooperation with the Jefferson Barracks POW/MIA Museum. Missouri Wing commander, Col. Jennifer Smith, (pictured) welcomed him as he talked about his book "The Eagle Hunts" recounting his experience of being shot down over Vietnam and spending six years as a POW.

Col. Clark is a native and current resident of Columbia, Missouri. He graduated from Hickman High School, the College of Engineering and Air Force ROTC at the University of Missouri, holding the position of cadet Corps Commander and a Distinguished Military Graduate. He received a Regular Air Force Commission in addition to his degree in mechanical engineering.

After pilot training, he flew C-131 aeromedical evacuation aircraft out of McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. and then rotated overseas to Royal Air Force Base, Alconbury, England flying tactical reconnaissance missions over Europe in the RF-4C.

During the Vietnam war Col. Clark was flying tactical reconnaissance missions out of Udorn RTAB, Udorn Thailand, and was shot down while on a tactical reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. He was captured, spent six years (2,176 days) as a POW in North Vietnam and was released on February 18, 1973.

Upon repatriation Captain Clark rejoined his family in Columbia, Mo. After obtaining a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Missouri he went back to the cockpit as an instructor in the T-38.

In 1977, he separated from active duty and joined the reserves and in 1979 the Missouri Air National Guard. While in the Air National Guard he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and has held the positions of Commander of the 131 Civil Engineering Squadron, State Director of Operations for Air, State Plans and Programs Officer and for two years prior to his retirement from the Air National Guard in Jan of 1992 he commanded the 231st Civil Engineering Flight, a specialized United States Air Forces in Europe gained Command Staff Augmentation Unit.

Col. Clark is retired and lives with his wife Anne in Columbia, MO.