After seven months of silence and uncertainty, the family in Oklahoma City had happy news. In an envelope bearing North Vietnamese stamps, Air Force Lieut. Colonel James Robinson Risner, 41, (TIME cover, April 23, 1965), sent word to his wife Kathleen and their five children: "I am in perfect health and excellent spirits. All my needs are supplied." Listed as missing in action since his F-105 Thunderchief was blasted down by ground fire near the North Vietnamese town of Thanh Hoa, Robbie Risner didn't indicate where he was being held prisoner, but he did...
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