Thomas Vance Parrott

Thomas Parrott was born on November 22, 1937, in Knoxville, Tennessee. He entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Air Force for Navigator Training on June 25, 1959, and was awarded his Navigator wings and commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force at Harlingen AFB, Texas, on June 22, 1960. Lieutenant Parrott next attended RB-66 Destroyer Navigator/Bombardier training at Mather AFB, California, from July 1960 to March 1961, followed by service as an RB-66 navigator with the 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, from March 1961 to October 1963. He served as a navigator with the Operations Section of the 7407th Support Squadron at Rhein Main AB, West Germany, from October 1963 to January 1967, and then as an instructor navigator with the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, from January to April 1967. Captain Parrott next served as an RF-4C Phantom II Reconnaissance System Operator with the 22nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Mountain Home AFB from April to June 1967, followed by service as an RF-4C Reconnaissance System Operator with the 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from June 1967 until he was forced to eject from his stricken aircraft over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on August 12, 1967.