William J. "Bud" Breckner, Jr.

Bud Breckner entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Air Force on March 26, 1954, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on June 30, 1955, and awarded his pilot wings on August 1, 1955. He flew F-86H Sabres and F-100D Super Sabres with the 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron in France and West Germany from April 1956 to May 1959, before attending weapons controller school and serving as a ground-controlled interception controller with Air Defense Command at Calumet Air Force Station, Michigan, and Truax Field, Wisconsin, from August 1959 to May 1962. His next assignment was flying F-101 Voodoos with the 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio, where he served from May 1962 to June 1966. Breckner served as an exchange pilot with the U.S. Navy from June 1966 to January 1969. During this time, he flew 100 combat missions in the A-4 Skyhawk off the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. He then attended Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, from August 1969 to October 1970, before returning to the 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, this time at Volk Field, Wisconsin, where he flew F-106 Delta Darts and served until May 1972. Breckner returned to Vietnam flying combat in the F-4 Phantom II with the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Ubon Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, in May 1972. His aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air missile and he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on July 30, 1972.