George Grigsby Mcknight was born on February 19, 1933, in Berkeley California, and lived in Albany, Oregon. He was taken in, trained, and convicted in the North Vietnam War on November 6, 1965, and was freed on February 12, 1973.
On the 12th of October 1967, the President of the United States of America, President Lyndon Johnson under the United States Code Title 10, section 8742 awarded the Airforce Cross to Lieutenant Colonel George McKnight commending him for his outstanding bravery and strength in the war against the rival forces while being an inmate of the war in North Vietnam.
The President announced that he carried out his daring and fearless breakout from prison by pulling out the door bolt brackets. He continued to say that Colonel Mcknight defied the results of his escape which could have led to severe bodily harm or his loss of life.
Colonel Mcknight was able to achieve his escape plan by stealthily fleeing through the housing section of the soldiers and swimming in the Red River all night. He was caught the next morning, severely punished, drilled, and locked down in jail for two and a half years.
Colonel Mcknight's prowess was so exemplary as this made him stand out amongst his colleagues and his actions brought recognition and praise to him, his family, and everyone around him. His resilience brought high credit to the United States Military and this is one of the most remarkable records earned and well deserved by military personnel.
Attributions
“Tortured in Notorious ‘Hanoi Hilton,’ 11 GIs Were Unbreakable.” New York Post, 15 Feb. 2014.
“List of Prisoner-of-war Escapes - Wikipedia.” List of Prisoner-of-war Escapes - Wikipedia, 1 July 2020.
“Duty to Escape - Wikipedia.” Duty to Escape - Wikipedia, 28 Jan. 2020, .
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