Sandiego89 said:
Glad that others have responded to this as well. I am sure Wageslave would have done everything properly, but since I have never been shot down and been spat out of spinning wreckage, or faced months of isolation and interogation I tend to give Mr. Powers the benefit of the doubt.
I second SanDiego's reply. And FWIW, USAF did far more than give Powers the "benefit of the doubt", but (belatedly) awarded him the Silver Star for exhibiting “indomitable spirit, exceptional loyalty, and continuous heroic actions" while undergoing "unmentionable hardships on a continuous basis by numerous top Soviet Secret Police interrogating teams." It's heart breaking that Powers' reputation was smeared for decades after this incident. It's unconscionable that there are those who continue to smear him when the record has been set straight and that record is so easily and readily available.