On this episode of Our American Stories, Ed Sykes shares the remarkable story of his friendship with fellow fighter pilot Dave Dinan and the decades-long effort to bring his fallen comrade home.
During the Vietnam War, Sykes flew dangerous combat missions in the F-105 Thunderchief alongside a close-knit brotherhood of pilots. One of those men was Dave Dinan, a brilliant young airman who was shot down over Laos in 1969 while flying in the secret “Hidden War” connected to the conflict in Vietnam. Dinan’s body was never recovered, and over time his family was told there was little hope that his remains would ever be found.
But Sykes never forgot his friend. Here's Ed with the story.
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