By Chuck Muth, Muth’s Truths

Let me tell you a story about a man from Wisconsin, but I promise by the end I’ll connect this military hero’s story to a man right here in Nevada.

‘Tis a story told to every cadet entering the Air Force Academy. It’s the story of Capt. Lance P. Sijan (pronounced sigh-john), the first USAF academy graduate to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Some background:

“In 1967, Capt. Sijan was shot down over Vietnam and was able to avoid capture for 45 days. After his initial capture, Capt. Sijan escaped despite a compound fracture of the left leg, a skull fracture and a mangled right hand. Eventually he was recaptured and interrogated repeatedly, but he refused to give up any information except his name. Capt. Sijan died after months of living in a Prisoner of War camp…”

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