Air Force Academy honors former prisoners of war

service and sacrifices after being held as prisoners of war in vietnam. today, they’re meeting with current cadets to share their experiences and pass on a message of hope. krdo newschannel 13’s zach pagano met some of the veterans as they returned to the academy. pictures tell a lot about where we’ve been. but no photograph could describe the pain some of these air force academy graduates lived through in war. we’re the luckiest of all men because we had 300 friends who are willing to take torture and death for each other. Whereas most people are lucky if they have 5 good friends in a lifetime. guy gruters graduated from the academy in 1964. when he was 24 he was captured and sent to a prison camp in north vietnam. The whole thing was, you know, trust our imprisonment to God and he got us out of there with the prayers of the American people. today he’s joing 18 other p-o-ws to share their experiences with cadets. Anytime you’re put in a stressful situation, like being a pow, you realize how frail you as an individual are so yonaturally draw off those around you. You have expectations of them helping you and you realize that they have expectations of you helping them. it’s a bond that can never be broken. We came home. There was not a good chance, it looked impossible to come home in those first years. Looked impossible, but we came home. now that they’re home … sharing their story and remembering their fallen brothers. in colorado springs, zach pagano, krdo newschannel 13. the veterans will be honored at a memorial ceremony at the academy tomorrow. thirty three air force graduates will be recognized on a special plaque home … sharing their story and remembering their fallen brothers. in colorado springs, zach pagano, krdo newschannel 13. the veterans will be honored at a memorial ceremony at the academy tomorrow. thirty three air force graduates will be recognized on a special plaque to honor their time spent as prisioners of war. another tax season has come