In May of 1972, radar intercept officer Jack Ensch and his pilot* shot two North Vietnamese fighter jets out of the sky, a feat for which they would each be awarded the Navy Cross. A few months later, Ensch found himself ejecting from his F-4 Phantom and on his way to the Hanoi Hilton, where he’d spend 216 days as a prisoner of war. In this episode, he shares his amazing story of victory and defeat, captivity and release, duty and friendship.
*The pilot awarded the Navy Cross was Capt. Ronald E. “Mugs” McKeown. Commander Michael William Doyle was the pilot of the downed F-4 Phantom. CDR Michael W Doyle is honored on Panel 1W, Line 69 of The Wall: https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/13877/MICHAEL-W-DOYLE-2/