John S. Finlay III

John Finlay enlisted in the U.S. Navy on October 25, 1944, and served as an Aviation Radioman aboard PBMs and PB4-Y2s until his discharge from active duty on June 28, 1946. Finlay was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force through the Army ROTC program at the University of Maryland, and went on active duty beginning on September 21, 1949. He served in research and development at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, and then as a Test Officer at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. He then began flight training and was awarded his pilot wings on April 29, 1955, at Williams AFB, Arizona. Captain Finlay next served as an instructor pilot at Williams AFB, Arizona, and Laughlin AFB, Texas. He was then transferred to the 27th Fighter Bomber Wing at Bergstrom AFB, Texas, and then to the 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Chaumont AB, France. Finlay then served with the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England, followed by Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Colonel Finlay then served with Headquarters Tactical Air Command at Langley AFB, Virginia. Next, Colonel Finlay served as Operations Officer and then Commander of the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Hahn AB, West Germany. He began flying combat missions in Southeast Asia with the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at DaNang AB, and flew 68 combat missions before being forced to eject over North Vietnam and taken as a Prisoner of War on April 28, 1968.