Ep.15, Bob Brudno: Brother of Vietnam POW Air Force Capt. Alan Brudno

United States Air Force Captain Alan Brudno from Quincy Massachusetts was flying a combat mission over North Vietnam in his F4 Phantom fighter jet when on October 18th, 1965 he was shot down and captured as a prisoner of war. Alan Brudno was held for 7.5 years as a prisoner of war in various north Vietnamese prison camps including the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Alan and his fellow POW’s endured unimaginable tortures as the war raged on in Vietnam while large segments of America condemned the young men sent to fight there. In February of 1973 Alan and his fellow POW’s came home from Vietnam and Alan, being one of the longest held POW’s during the war, was sent home on the first plane. Only 4 months after Alan’s release he succumbed to his invisible wounds and committed suicide, becoming the first POW released to die. Since the day Alan was taken prisoner his brother, Bob Brudno, spent his life advocating for his brother and his release. When Alan died post traumatic stress disorder didn’t even have a name yet and the government refused to recognize his death as combat related. Bob Brudno spent 3 decades fighting for his brother's name to be etched onto the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington DC and on memorial day in 2004 it finally was. Bob Brudno joins us today to share his brother Alan’s story.