12 minutes with Vietnam war vet and former POW David Drummond
It was a few days before Christmas, 1972, when Jill Drummond got the worst present imaginable. It was a letter from the United States Air Force telling her that her husband David Drummond was officially missing in action in Vietnam.
News 12 Staff
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Nov 11, 2021, 12:29 AM
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Updated 907 days ago
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1,005ds agoIt was a few days before Christmas, 1972, when Jill Drummond got the worst present imaginable. It was a letter from the United States Air Force telling her that her husband David Drummond was officially missing in action in Vietnam.
Shock, fear and worry all followed. What she didn’t know immediately was that her husband’s B-52 bomber had been shot down and he had been captured by North Vietnamese soldiers.
Within days, those soldiers put David on the radio as a propaganda tool. They did Jill a favor by doing this because hearing his voice, she knew he was alive.
RELATED: November is Military Family Month. Here are 7 resources for veterans and military families.
What followed for David were 98 days of mental and physical abuse at the infamous Hanoi Hilton.
David spoke with News 12’s Kurt Siegelin about his ordeal.
After his time in the military, David went on to a 30-year career flying for American Airlines. He was instrumental in getting a veteran’s memorial built in Manalapan.
He remains very active with POW/MIA groups and works tirelessly to see that there are proper burials for veterans cremains left in funeral homes.
He and Jill live in Manalapan and have been married for 52 years.
