Irby David Terrell, Jr.

Dave Terrell enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Air Force on March 18, 1953, and was commissioned a second lieutenant on June 30, 1954. Terrell was trained as a Radar Intercept Officer on the F-94C Starfire and then served with the 46th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Dover AFB, Deleware, from June 1955 to August 1957. Lieutenant Terrell then completed Bombardier-Navigator training and B-52 Stratofortress Combat Crew Training before being assigned to the 40th Bomb Squadron of the 6th Bomb Wing at Walker AFB, New Mexico, from April 1958 to October 1959. He served with the 492nd Bomb Squadron and then the 736th Bomb Squadron of the 4228th Strategic Wing at Columbus AFB, Mississippi, from October 1959 to September 1966. During this time, Major Terrell completed 31 combat missions in Southeast Asia between November 1965 and March 1966. His next assignment was an Education-With-Industry Program at Boeing in Seattle, Washington, from September 1966 to November 1967. He completed EB-66C Destroyer Combat Crew Training in December 1967, and was assigned to the 41st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron at Takhli Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from late December 1967 until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam on January 14, 1968. He managed to evade his enemies for two days before being captured and taken as a Prisoner of War on January 16, 1968.

Pre-Release Photograph: TogetherWeServed