Commander Bill Tschudy (USN, Ret), POW

On September 15, resident Bill Tschudy spoke to a full house in Rawlinson Hall about his seven-and-a-half years as a POW in North Vietnam.

Bill was one of the early POWs when his A-6A Intruder aircraft was shot down on July 18, 1965. Bill was the bombardier-navigator on the plane and his pilot was Cmdr. Jeremiah Denton Jr. Denton turned out to be the senior officer in captivity for some time.

Bill talked of his treatment by the guards and the interrogators. He also spoke of his faith and how he took each day one at a time. He looked for small victories each day. He gave us a close-up view of what it was like to survive those long, lonely months and years. His quiet courage finally brought him home in 1973 along with 590 other POWs.

In the Club there is a picture of a flight of A-6A aircraft. Bill can be seen in the cockpit of the closest airplane. When you get a chance, take a look at the plane that Bill flew in Vietnam. Bill is one of many heroes we have living among us at PVE. They have all had a hand in keeping us free.

Learn more about his experience in this 2015 News & Observer story and service details on Veteran Tributes.