Vietnam Prisoner of War honored on Thursday

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- He served in the Air Force and was a Vietnam Prisoner of War. On Thursday, April 25th, Captain Guy Gruters got to share his story.

The veteran spoke this afternoon to the airmen of Milwaukee's 128th Air Refueling Wing.

Gruters was a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, and was held captive by enemy forces for more than five years in Hanoi.

During his time in captivity, he tended to fellow prisoner and Air Force Academy classmate, Milwaukee native Captain Lance Sijan.

After Sijan died in captivity, Gruters shared Sijan's story of heroic defiance with his fellow POWs.

Gruter's testimony about Sijan's ordeal is credited with Sijan's posthumous Medal of Honor recognition.

Gruters was released, along with nearly 600 other prisoners of war in 1973 during Operation Homecoming.