John A. Dramesi
John Arthur Dramesi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | February 12, 1933 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | September 17, 2017 (aged 84) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1956–1982 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Unit | 505th Tactical Control Group 388th Tactical Fighter Wing |
| Commands | 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron 509th Bomb Wing |
| Battles / wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |  Air Force Cross (2) Silver Star Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star (3) Purple Heart (5) Meritorious Service Medal (2) Air Medal (7) |
John Arthur Dramesi (February 12, 1933 – September 17, 2017) was a retired Colonel in United States Air Force (USAF) officer who was held as a prisoner of war at the Hanoi Hilton in North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.[1] Dramesi is one of only four members of the USAF to be twice awarded the Air Force Cross, the first for the mission on which he was shot down and captured, 2 April 1967, and the second for the six-month period following his second escape and recapture, from May to November 1969, when he was beaten and tortured.[2] He also received an award of the Silver Star for gallantry during an escape on 10 May 1967 and the month following his recapture, when he also was beaten and tortured.
Dramesi is one of the very few captives who never broke under torture. He was held along with Senator John McCain and has criticized McCain's conduct as a prisoner and after release. McCain would later hail him as "one of the toughest guys I've ever met."[2] Dramesi has also criticized the conduct of a number of his fellow POWs.[3]
Early life
Dramesi was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 12 February 1933 and grew up in Blackwood, a neighborhood in Gloucester Township, New Jersey.[4] He graduated from Rutgers University and its Air Force ROTC program in 1956, and was trained as a fighter pilot at Laredo Air Force Base.
Vietnam War
While a prisoner, Dramesi twice attempted to escape, without success. On the second occasion, his partner, Edwin Atterberry, was killed, and the entire prison population was subjected to "barbaric" reprisals.[1] Plans for a third escape attempt, to be assisted by Navy SEALs in Operation Thunderhead, were cancelled after the SEALs were injured, and one killed, when jumping from a helicopter.[5]
Dramesi was released in 1973.
Political career
Dramesi ran as a Republican for the Congressional seat held by James Florio in 1982, and switched parties in 1990 to run in the Democratic primary to fill Florio's then-vacant seat following his election as Governor of New Jersey.[6]
Later life
Dramesi died on September 17, 2017 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the last living multiple recipient of the Air Force Cross. Dramesi will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on September 20, 2018.[7]
Awards and Decorations
Included among his awards for valor and service, in addition to receiving two awards of the Air Force Cross, Dramesi was decorated with the Silver Star and twice awarded the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Star Medals, five Purple Hearts, two Meritorious Service Medals and seven Air Medals.
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US Air Force Command Pilot Badge |
Further reading
- Dramesi, John A., Code of Honor. New York: Norton, 1975. ISBN 0-446-36055-4.
- Rochester, Stuart and Frederick Kiley, Honor Bound: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, 1961–1973. Naval Institute Press: 2007. ISBN 1-59114-738-7.
- Stockdale, Sybil, In Love and War: The Story of a Family's Ordeal and Sacrifice During the Vietnam Years. Naval Institute Press, 1990. ISBN 1-55750-784-8.
References
- ^ a b Reynolds, Jon A., Question of Honor, Air University Review, Vol. XXVIII, No. 3 (March–April 1977): 104–110.
- ^ a b Dickinson, Tim. "Make-Believe Maverick". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ Miner, Michael John Dramesi's Unflattering Memories, Chicago Reader, October 2008.
- ^ via Associated Press. "Ex-Pease Commander May Seek Elective Office: Brother sys Ex-POW relieved of duty pending retirement", Nashua Telegraph, December 26, 1981. Accessed May 30, 2013. "Dramesi, a Gloucester Township native whose defiance of his captors while a prisoner of war in Vietnam earned him nationwide respect, was replaced suddenly as commander of Pease Air Force Base in Newingon, N. H., on Monday under circumstances which remain unclear."
- ^ Sipress, Alan. "Each Party Sees Chance To Seize Florio's Seat", The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 30, 1990. Accessed July 20, 2011. "Also seeking the Democratic nomination is John A. Dramesi, 57, of Blackwood. A former prisoner of war in Vietnam, Dramesi said he was asked to run by senior citizens and fellow veterans. Until this winter, Dramesi was a Republican and ran against Florio for Congress in 1982.... Dramesi, who retired from the Air Force in 1982 as a colonel, said he exceeded his opponents in expertise in national-security affairs."
- ^ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/190450331/john-arthur-dramesi
External links
- 1933 births
- 2017 deaths
- Military personnel from Philadelphia
- People from Gloucester Township, New Jersey
- Rutgers University alumni
- American air force personnel of the Vietnam War
- Aviators from Pennsylvania
- Recipients of the Legion of Merit
- American prisoners of war
- Recipients of the Silver Star
- Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United States)
- American torture victims
- Vietnam War prisoners of war
- United States Air Force colonels