[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 69 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            HONORING BUD DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 24, 2002

  Mr. JEFF MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor 
a man who, on many occasions, has been honored before by this great 
body. Today, however, after meeting this great man, after hearing so 
many times his heroic story, it is my privilege, as his Congressman, to 
present my constituent Colonel George Everett ``Bud'' Day.
  Colonel Day, a prominent attorney in Northwest Florida, a family man, 
the most decorated military person since General Douglas MacArthur and 
a Medal of Honor winner will receive another distinction few people 
ever realize--Sioux City, Iowa, the birthplace of Colonel Day, will 
become the Sioux Gateway Airport/ Col. Bud Day Field, a fitting tribute 
to this aviator's 137 flight missions in both Korea and Vietnam.
  Mr. Speaker, the events leading to Colonel Day's Medal of Honor award 
are inspiring. I would like to resubmit, for the purposes of accurately 
portraying Col. Day's actions, a segment of the 1993 report of the 
Select Committee on POW/MIA's.

            The Report of the Select Committee on POW/MIA's

                         (Senate--Feb. 3, 1993)

       Col. George Day (U.S. Air Force): Col. George ``Bud'' Day 
     was shot down over North Vietnam in August 1967. His right 
     arm was broken in three places and his knee badly sprained. 
     He was captured by hostile forces and immediately taken to a 
     prison camp where he was interrogated and severely tortured. 
     After causing the guards to relax their vigilance, Colonel 
     Day escaped into the jungle and began the trek toward South 
     Vietnam. He was the only POW to escape from prison in the 
     north.
       Despite injuries inflicted by fragments of a bomb or 
     rocket, he continued southward surviving only on a few 
     berries and uncooked frogs. He successfully evaded enemy 
     patrols and reached the Ben Hai River, where he encountered 
     U.S. artillery barrages. With the aid of a bamboo log float, 
     Colonel Day swam across the river and entered the 
     demilitarized zone. Due to delirium, he lost his sense of 
     direction and wandered aimlessly for several days. After 
     several unsuccessful attempts to signal U.S. aircraft, he was 
     ambushed and recaptured by the Vietcong, sustaining gunshot 
     wounds to the left hand and thigh.
       He was returned to the ``zoo,'' the prison from which he 
     had escaped and later was moved to Hanoi after giving his 
     captors false information in response to their questions. 
     Physically, Col. Day was totally debilitated and unable to 
     perform even the simplest task for himself. Despite his many 
     injuries, he continued to resist. Furthermore, 37 months of 
     his 5\1/2\ year imprisonment were spent in solitary 
     confinement. Upon his release in 1973, Colonel Day was 
     awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic 
     efforts.

  Mr. Speaker, it is an absolute honor and privilege to represent Col. 
Bud Day. I commend the citizens of Sioux City in providing Col. Day 
this fitting tribute to their favorite son.

                          ____________________