CAFPOW

CAFPOW (Cadets for the Aid of Families of Prisoners of War) was started at the Air Force Academy in the Spring of 1970, for the sole purpose of helping the families of American P.O.W.'s in the local area.

Acting in coordination with national movements expressing concern for the treatment of American prisoners of war, the members of CAFPOW show their concern to local families by helping with chores like cutting grass and running errands and also by escorting families to events like football games and Allied Arts/performances at the Academy.

CAFPOW does not operate by an expression of pity - such an attitude would be self-defeating. Rather, members of CAFPOW donate their time gladly, on the premise that they can be of help in easing the burden of families of men being held by the enemy. There are no material rewards for the cadet's efforts, but the sense of pride is evident when one sees a cadet with several small children at his side or hears another talk about "his family." At present there are about fifty cadets involved in the organization.

CAFPOW is now working with the Colorado Springs chapter of the National League of Families of American Prisoners in Southeast Asia. It has helped in the letter writing campaign to Hanoi, protesting the treatment of American P.O.W.'s and it has also contributed to helping send several women to Paris for talks with the North Vietnamese delegation to the Paris Peace Talks.

At the present time, CAFPOW is also involved with the ordering of MIA-POW bracelets, for members of the Cadet Wing. These bracelets being distributed by a national organization contain the name of an American that is a POW or is MIA. They are worn with the vow that they will not be removed until the Red Cross is allowed into Hanoi and can assure his family of his status and that he receives the humane treatment due all men.

CAFPOW is one organization that would like to end its existence because it was no longer needed. Perhaps soon the fate of the 1600 men that are MIA or POW's will be settled, and their families will be united. But as long as it is needed, CAFPOW will continue to show its concern for those families of American P.O.W.'s in Southeast Asia.

– Talon, November 1971

Falconews 27 November 1970

Falconews 4 December 1970

Falconews 23 December 1971

Falconews 10 November 1972

Captain John W. Clark

"I was born on 1 January 1940 in Columbia, Missouri and lived there for twenty-two years I have two sisters, one older and one younger, named Katherine and Vevona respectively. I was a graduate of Hickman High School in Columbia where I played football and ran track. My father is a Professor in the Agricultural Extension Department of the University of Missouri and my mother is on the Stephens College faculty.

"As a young man I enjoyed cars and water skiing when I could, and flying later in college. During those summers I spent many days working on my dad's farm in North Missouri, and that provided many thoughts during my stay with the communists.

"I graduated from High School in 1957, entered UMC College of Engineering and pledged Phi Delta Theta social fraternity. In February 1962 I was married and I entered the Ari Force shortly after graduation in June of that year. My first tour of duty was at Reese AFB, Texas where I attended pilot training and flew the T-33 and T-37. During this year my daughter, Renee, was born. After graduation I was assigned to the Air Evacuation Squadron at McGuire AFB, New Jersey and flew the C-131. In February of 1965 I entered the RF-4C Combat Crew Training School at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, and upon completion I went to Alconbury AB, England with my family to join the 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, It was from there that I was sent to Udorn, Thailand in September of 1966. My family returned to Columbia, Missouri.

"I had flown more than sixty missions over North Vietnam when I was downed by AAA on 12 March 1967 in western Hoa Binh Province in North Vietnam. I was captured almost immediately by swarms of militia. I remained in North Vietnam for almost six years during which time I contracted malaria. I was released in February 1973 and met my son, Keith, for the first time at Scout AFB, Illinois where I was being treated for malaria. It is now cured but a period of time is required for the body to rebuild itself.

"During my visit to North Vietnam I fell back on three faiths. Faith in God, country, and family. I developed a rewarding and strengthened faith in God and I thank God for being American. For, regardless of what "they" said, or how hopeless the situation might have seemed at times, I knew I was never forgotten or abandoned. However, I still find it hard to comprehend the national emotion on the POW issue. I never imagined it to be as I found it when I returned. Fantastic!!

"Our communications with each other and faith in each other along with our great sense of national pride, made it easy to remain united against the Red wedge that tried to split us. And "they" never understood.

"For the future I plan to remain in the Air Force and attend the University of Missouri at Columbia for a Master's Degree in Business Administration.

"I have come to appreciate my freedom as an American so much more and will no longer take it for granted the great affluence of our society. I pray that others will not have to suffer to really appreciate what it means to be an American."

– Documents and Photos Courtesy Clark Special Collections

Colonel John. W. Clark

Hand-written biography
by Major Clark for
Barbara Powers Wyatt

Captain Clark arriving at Clark AB,
Phillipines, upon his release

Captain Clark receiving a large book of "Welcome Home" letters from the school children at a reception in his hometown, Columbia, Missouri

Epilog: Colonel Clark in North Vietnam, 2014

Colonel John Clark always dreamed of being a pilot. After graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in mechanical engineering and the ROTC program, he received his officer’s commission and went to pilot training at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas. Following subsequent survival training, John was assigned to the East Coast, flying aeromedical evacuation. He eventually became the aircraft commander but was moved to South Carolina for RF-4C training. He spent the next couple years stationed in Alconbury RAFB, England, before receiving the news that he was going to be joining the war effort in Vietnam. He began flying tactical reconnaissance missions into Vietnam from the Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. His assignment was for one year or 100 missions. After five months, he had already flown 85-90 missions, primarily counter-missions, and was well on his way to an early completion. However, on March 12, 1967, his future drastically changed when his plane was shot down, leading to his immediate capture by the North Vietnamese. He was 27 years old and would spend the next six years as a prisoner in the famous “Hanoi Hilton” and other camps in the Hanoi area.

Today, (October 2014) 47 years later, John returned to what is left of the former prison for the first time. Prior to our arrival in Hanoi, I had asked John if it felt like that much time had passed. He shook his head no. “It feels like a year ago.” As we entered the museum which now occupies the prison grounds and boasts of the American POW’s “humane” treatment, I looked up at John. I couldn’t help but wonder what his reaction would be. Trepidation, fear, anger–none of these emotions flashed across his face. Instead, I saw a resounding sense of determination. It was that same determination which called him to serve his country where she needed him most, despite the risks. It was determination which kept him from giving into despair when he was captured and held in solitary confinement. It was determination which held him between optimism and pessimism as the months turned into years, and he remained a prisoner. It was determination which pushed him to rejoin society after his release, living a life of faith, love, and thankfulness.

That determination is what drove John Clark to gather students and veterans alike around him today, sharing his knowledge with us, his enraptured audience. As we boarded the bus to leave the old “Hanoi Hilton” behind, John turned to me and said, “I wish I could have shared more with you all. I just didn’t recognize that much.” At these words, I felt my eyes grow moist and a knot began to form in the pit of my stomach. I wished I could have found the words to express how I was feeling, but I believe he understood that he had taught me more than I could ever express. What I have learned from John Clark is something that really cannot be taught in books or classes. Walking beside him the last couple weeks, I have learned the meaning of true courage, and it is a lesson that I will never, ever forget.

– Molly Matney, College of the Ozarks Vietnam Tour 2014

Colonel Clark with fellow POW,
Commander James Bailey
at the "Hanoi Hilton"