VETERAN HELD 6 YEARS AS POW TO KEYNOTE ANDALUSIA ‘CELEBRATION OF HEROES’
The Covington Veterans Foundation will have Capt. Charlie Plumb, USNR (Ret.), as guest speaker for its Celebration of Heroes event set for 2 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 8, at Andalusia High School.
As a Navy pilot, Plumb flew 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam and made more than 100 carrier landings.
On his 75th mission, just five days before the end of his tour, Plumb was shot down over Hanoi, taken prisoner, tortured, and spent the next 2,103 days in North Vietnamese Prisoner of War camps. During his nearly six years of captivity, Plumb distinguished himself as a pro in underground communications. He was a great inspiration to all the other POWs and served as chaplain for two years.
Following his repatriation, Plumb continued his Navy flying career in Reserve Squadrons, where he flew A-4 Sky Hawks, A-7 Corsairs and FA-18 Hornets. His last two commands as a Naval Reservist were on the Aircraft Carrier Corral Sea and at a Fighter Air Wing in California. He retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Captain after 31 years of service.
Since his return home, Plumb has captivated more than 5,000 audiences in almost every industry around the world with stories that parallel his POW experience with the challenges of everyday life. He is the author of “I’m No Hero,” written with Glen DeWerff.
Celebration of Heroes, CVF’s fifth, will focus on locals who were held as POWs or who are missing in action. There are still 1,297 Alabamians unaccounted for or missing in action.
The show also will feature the Lower Alabama Community Chorus, Andalusia Elementary School Chorus, the Covington County Choral Company (C4), and other local vocalists. The program is free.
Capt. Plumb also will speak at Andalusia High School and at LBW Community College on Mon., Nov. 9.
In addition to the November 8th events, CVF will have an exhibit of POW artifacts on display in Andalusia City Hall. There will be a Veterans Day Parade at 10 a.m. on Wed., Nov. 11, followed by a short program at the Covington Veterans Memorial located behind City Hall.