retired Col. Jack Van Loan during Fort Jackson's POW/MIA Recognition Day
Sept. 14. Van Loan spent years as a prisoner of war in the 'Hanoi Hilton.'
Last year, Columbia dedicated a mon... VIEW ORIGINAL
retired Maj. Gen. Steve Siegfried, former Fort Jackson commander during Fort
Jackson's POW/MIA Recognition Day Sept. 14. Siegfried, who was a company
commander during the Vie... VIEW ORIGINAL
Prisoners of war and those missing in action hold a special place in the heart of former Fort Jackson commander, retired Maj. Gen. Steve Siegfried.
At a special Basic Combat Training graduation Sept. 14, Fort Jackson honored National POW/MIA Recognition Day by having Siegfried and former POW and retired Air Force Col. Jack Van Loan in attendance.
President Donald Trump proclaimed Sept. 15 to be the recognition day, but the installation celebrated it a day early to coincide with the graduation of companies from 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry and 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry regiments.
According to the presidential proclamation, "On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, our nation recognizes all American prisoners of war and service members missing in action who have valiantly honored their commitment to this great country."
Maj. Gen. Pete Johnson, Fort Jackson commander, said he was proud to call Van Loan, who underwent "unfathomable torture" during six years as a POW in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, a friend. He also called Siegfried an inspiration.
Siegfried recalled how as a company commander during the Vietnam War he was unable to rescue missing Soldiers.
"They sent down Chinook helicopters and we practiced going down 100-foot rapid rope ladders for a day and a half and then we deployed to go get those Soldiers," he said. "When we got there, we managed to get down through all the cover and we didn't find anything on the ground. We found a couple of fires that were still smoking and I will tell you that then some of us left, it was just a little bit too late.
"I'll remember that day all of my life," he added. "If we'd been a little bit quicker, a little bit quieter, a little bit better at what we got done … Now that makes a guy proud that we were there to hopefully say we weren't able to set those Soldiers free but we'd do it again in a minute."
Siegfried, who needs assistance to walk said, "Even with this cane, I'd get down that ladder some kinda way" to rescue missing Americans.
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