FEBRUARY 24TH MARKS WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE 99TH BIRTHDAY FOR LOCAL SIOUXLAND MILITARY HERO BRIGADIER GENERAL GEORGE “BUD” DAY.
TO HELP CELEBRATE THE OCCASION, SIOUXLAND FREEDOM PARK HAS OPENED A TEMPORARY EXHIBIT THIS MONTH TO HONOR THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER AND PILOT WHO SURVIVED YEARS OF TORTURE AS A PRISONER DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.
MARTY HOGAN OF THE FREEDOM PARK BOARD OF DIRECTORS SAYS THE EXHIBIT IS ON DISPLAY IN THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER NAMED IN HONOR OF GENERAL DAY AND HIS WIFE DORIS:
DAY1 OC……FROM THAT ERA. :17
HOGAN SAYS THEY HOPE TO FIND MORE LOCAL MEMORABILIA RELATING TO THE DAYS:
DAY2 OC…….GARNERING MORE. :13
HOGAN HOPES THAT THIS WILL LEAD TO A LARGER PERMANENT DISPLAY IN THE FUTURE AT THE PARK’S INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
DAY3 OC…..BESIDE THEM. :21
DAY WAS SHOT DOWN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR AND ENDURED OVER FIVE YEARS OF TORTURE, ESCAPING A P-O-W CAMP ONCE BUT THEN RECAPTURED AND PUNISHED FURTHER.
HOGAN IS A RETIRED MAJOR WHO MARVELS AT DAY’S FORTITUDE THROUGH THE ORDEAL:
DAY4 OC…….SLIP AWAY. :19
WHEN DAY RETURNED HOME AND RECOVERED, HE EVENTUALLY BECAME A CHAMPION FOR VETERANS RIGHTS.
COLONEL BUD DAY SERVED IN WORLD WAR II, THE KOREAN WAR, AND THE VIETNAM WAR, SPENDING FIVE AND A HALF YEARS IN CAPTIVITY AS A PRISONER OF WAR IN VIETNAM.
HE EARNED 70 DECORATIONS IN SERVICE TO HIS COUNTRY, SECOND ONLY TO GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR IN TOTAL NUMBER, AND RECEIVED A POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION TO BRIGADIER GENERAL IN 2017.
THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER IS CURRENTLY OPEN SATURDAYS, 10:00 A.M. TO 4:00 P.M. IN SOUTH SIOUX CITY, NEBRASKA.
